The Deadliest Soul
by Leider Hosen
Summary: This is [not] a ripoff of deadliest warrior :3
1. Seathe Vs Kalameet

A/N: I'm pretty tired out from reviews and should probably be doing homework, but I got hit with so much inspiration I just had to :3

* * *

Seathe the Scaleless vs Black Dragon Kalameet, the white dragon vs the black dragon, the bringer of calamity vs the mad scholar, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

**Strength:**

-Seathe: Very strong, able to knock the average chosen undead around with his claws with ease, his tails are even stronger still, since he can lean all his weight into them and crush even the heaviest armor, though he relies mostly on ranged sorcery attacks and dragon breath.

-Kalameet: Ungodly strong- even his lightest attacks are able to crush heavy armor in seconds, and even with a massive arrow through his shoulder, he's able to launch himself into the air on his gimp wing

-advantage: Kalameet

**Speed:**

\- Seathe: He was born deformed- with no visible legs and highly recessive wings, limiting his speed to a crawl

-Kalameet: Extremely mobile- thrusting himself forward on his legs, gliding on his wings, and leaping large distances with ease. Normal flight speed is very difficult to intercept.

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Agility:**

-Seathe: Very slow and clumsy- uses his three large tails to sweep the environment and guard his rear- cocks his fist back to strike opponents at the front

-Kalameet: his movements are liquid- striking with his claws, tail, and fire in rapid succession with impeccable accuracy, leaving his opponents very little room to hit back or defend themselves

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Build:**

-Seathe: a mutant- has long, slender arms and a slender torso, but a very wide lover body that has difficulty maneuvering. However, Seathe is enormous and can reach very far

-Kalameet: Streamlined and elegant, but medium sized at best- relies on grace and speed over brute force to close the distance and evade attacks.

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Seathe: while weak in body, the white dragon has an incredible level of intellect- however, his research to discover immortality free from the fragile primordial crystal has rendered him mad and unable to reason effectively.

-Kalameet: born of the ancient dragons, Kalameet has had hundreds, perhaps even thousands of years to perfect his combat skills and turn his body into a living weapon. Average intelligence by human standards, and prone to incredible bouts of destructive rage and mania

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Armor:**

-Seathe: Born without scales, Seathe's pale flesh is exposed to the elements

-Kalameet: Coated in an impenetrable suit of obsidian scales, the black dragon is all but invulnerable to damage

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Weapons:**

-Seathe: uses his claws and tails to mash opponents

-Kalameet: uses his claws, his razor sharp obsidian tail to cut and knock opponents around, and his angular- very tough skull to ram opponents with incredible force

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Magic:**

Seathe: The godfather of magic- who may have invented it in the first place, manipulating the force of life through crystals, commanding an archive so engorged with accumulated research it drove the foremost master of sorcery insane just trying to comprehend it.

Kalameet: limited to no knowledge of the arcane

Advantage: Seathe

**Miracles:**

-Seathe: though worked with Gwyn for a massive period of time, he has no apparent grasp of divine miracles- relying on his own intellect

-Kalameet: fought the gods in ancient times and lived to tell it- relies on his own might and power to dominate the battle

-Advantage: neither

**Pyromancy:**

-Seathe: as a creature of magic, he is highly vulnerable to fire and cannot wield it, using crystal breath instead

-Kalameet: uses a unique form of black dragonfire only he can command, which can vaporize unwary foes in seconds

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Darkness:**

-Seathe: has dabbled in the dark arts to uncover immortality, but has no further connection to the abyss

-Kalameet: born in ancient times long before the abyss existed

-Advantage: neither

**Special:**

-Seathe: uses arcane magic infused with crystal to pierce numerous targets at a time. Wired his soul into a primordial crystal deep beneath the earth that renders him completely invincible.

-Kalameet: the black dragon can project a staggering level force with the might of his will alone, crushing and repulsing anything that draws to close

-Advantage: Seathe

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Seathe: his flesh is very sensitive to fire and mildly sensitive to lightning, and the primordial crystal that renders him immortal is very fragile and needs to be guarded at all times

-Kalameet: his obsidian scales can be peeled away with lightning or pierced with heavy magic

-Advantage: Kalameet

**Overall combat skills:**

-Seathe: A scholar of unimaginable intellect that can destroy most adversaries with his magic and crystals, though he isn't accustomed to open warfare

-Kalameet: Ferocious in battle even for a dragon, even mighty Anor Londo dared not provoke his ire.

-Advantage: Kalameet.

**Total:**

Seathe: 2

Kalameet: 10

**-The Duel-**

* * *

Wind blew around the black dragon's wings in a gale force- his piercing, rusty orange eye sweeping the environment below as he circled a great, rotund building with a royal blue roof that had to be the fabled "duke's archives" at the edge of sun glossed Anor Londo.

As the bringer of calamity swept around the acropolis, he spotted a deep pit in the earth- crystal lining the sides and sparkling in the trees like coats of crisp winter ice.

"_So-_" Kalameet growled into the air in an ancient dragon tongue, "_this is where the traitor Seathe chose to bed himself down? The Great Duke- Gwyn's favorite pet- father of sorcery_." He bayed, angling his fine dark wings, "_Perhaps I should put the great 'lord soul' to the test- see how great the first flames might truly is_."

The black dragon tucked his wings to his side, the wind rushing through his jagged horns as he dove with his sleek, elegant body angled like an eagle mid swoop. As the wind begun to whistle over him, he spotted several shapes below- foggy pale looking up at him-

Soon, small, jagged crystals begun to fly from below- shredding through the air like glimmering daggers, Kalameet's demonic eye flaring- the crystal shards impacting on the force of the falling dragon and shattering to dust before him, the black dragon sending a wave through his body to straighten himself and slingshot down the outer wall and over the grassy ground.

The crystal golems- ape-like things continued firing at him, the black dragon taking a deep breath and feeling the euphoria of immense energy gathering in his bosom-

A plume of fire- so strong and so dense it was blackened in the air with a corona of gold- like a sun in eclipse- blew from deep in his lungs and scorched the trees to ashes instantly- the microscopic molecules of air and moisture in the golem's construction flashing to steam- the things bursting with a tremendous crack-

The dragon left nothing behind but piles of scorched crystal settling to the ground and blue hot flame engulfing the forest- the sweet smell of ash clouding the sky.

Kalameet angled his body once more, his wings gliding over the wall of the pit- the dragon's pure black shadow dancing over the pearlescent surface with a striking red light for an eye.

Yes- this was the shadow of the bringer of calamity- the harbinger of despair!

* * *

Seathe looked up from the pretty- pretty surface- like maidens flesh- the ripples so- so- immaculate- from the primordial crystal. A familiar screech was beginning to fill the air- Seathe feeling all his golems coming apart under hellish fire- a shadow passing over the lands as he felt heat- fire- burning far above. His channelers- his eyes- blinded by acrid smoke.

_He _was here- the last of the true ancient dragons- the- the- destroyer, the _desolater_\- no mere small drake or descendant. The white dragon tore himself from the crystal's radiance- its- power beauty life giving beauty- pulling the arcane around him as he moved in front of the precious- his precious life crystal- feeling for the crystal and souls around him to spot his adversary in the darkness of his hazy, blind blue eyes.

* * *

The bringer of calamity detached from the wall, rolling from the edge and gliding forward, the mad scholar raising his claws to his sides and materializing dozens of small blue orbs- projecting them through the air as they blew forward and crystalized- homing in the rapidly approaching target.

They angled in on the core of the beast- tracing azure as the bringer of calamity pulled his dark wings in all manner of angles to weave through the cloud of soul spears- biting at his sides like a cloud hornets.

Kalameet bayed as one tore over his chest- a few obsidian scales loosening as his sensitive skin beneath felt the ache of soul energy, the black dragon charging himself even faster until he was little but a shadowy streak heading in on the mad scholar.

Seathe pressed his hands together, a corona of several bands of homing masses of souls shooting from him and rapidly orbiting until he was wreathed with rings of them, the mad scholar thrusting his palm forward to send rapid fire clusters of them at his adversary.

The black dragon's eye flashed brightly, the soul masses- smaller and faster than the spears- but weaker- breaking on the wall of force and leaving him unscathed as he put his wings to the side- slowing down to swoop in front of the mad scholar- who dispersed his soul masses and absorbed the soul power.

"_Away- away demon_!" he shouted, trying hard to turn to the sound of Kalameet's snickering as the bringer of calamity calmly circled him-

"_Aww- what's the matter_?" he leered, "_can't stand the presence of a true dragon? Did I break your poor little toys, runt!_"

"_Away- away- away- do not- you're breaking- my- my- crystals- my SOULS_!" the white dragon threw his head around in a roar, spewing crystal from the glowing mass near the base of his stomach- the blind, mad scholar sweeping all around to catch him-

The bringer of calamity merely breathed in once more- unleashing an eclipse of fire into the air- the crystals meeting his shaft of flame- the air filling with the sound of shattering and crackling as the flames consumed the white dragon's crystal- slowly burning down until the mad scholar himself was engulfed, the very earth around him breaking away under the wrath of the black dragon.

Kalameet finally choked his breath- laughing as the smoke blew around-

a soul javelin parting the smoke and striking Kalameet in the chest- raking down his side and gushing black blood as it dug under his scales.

The bringer of calamity roared in pain, falling from the air and crashing to his feet, his darkened claws digging in as the white dragon- in the truest expression of blasphemy- looked down on the black dragon, cackling madly as the burns down his face and body instantly disappeared- like soft white paper burning in the reverse.

"_See! See!_" he shouted, maddening as he remembered the time before the war- "_See! You- arrogant- you're arrogant- you will fall I'm cleverer than you, cleverer than all of you_!" he pulled his claw back- driving it down-

His pale claws broke in two as they struck the black dragon's force, Kalameet roarING with such fury the trees at the top of the crater split open and the very earth quaked-

"_Insolent inbreed_!" he screamed, "_You- who fornicates with the gods- with the humans_!" the mad scholar was pressed back from the black dragon's growing bubble of wrath as he ground the crystal stalactites to snow- his rusty eye burning like magma caldera- "_I'll crush everything you made- I will burn your library to the ground- I will grind your bones into dust- I will find and destroy everything you ever cared for- INSECT_!"

Seathe panicked- swinging around as he felt his precious primordial crystal resonating at much too great a frequency- it was cracking- the mad scholor bringing his hands around and sheathing his crystal with a thick curtain of woven icy pillars- sighing as he felt the resonations stop- the bringer of calamity spying the actions-

"_Oh- are you distressed? Do you want to keep me from that_?" the black dragon rushed around the mad scholar- the white dragon screaming incoherently and flailing the tendrils of his legs to try and stop Kalameet.

The bringer of calamity thrust his head to the side, catching the wind with his wings to send him from the flailing appendage, his black claws digging in like cleats on the slippery surface- a few places giving him a lurch- like he was freezing, so he jumped the rest of the way to the crystal flow, the scholar turning as fast as he could and continuing to shout for Kalameet to stop, though he was stuck to the dirt-

"_What's wrong, slug_?" Kalameet roared, "_You're far cleverer than I- surely you can figure a way to keep up with me!_" the black dragon turned to the crystal flow, bracing his feet and focusing his rage into the base of his throat-

Seathe screamed as he sent a barrage of soul spears at the bringer of calamity- Kalameet leaping into the air and springing from the crystal flow- running up the wall with the aid of his great wings and claws as Seathe continued to fire on him- the spears landing close- but with his blindness he lacked the accuracy to strike Kalameet as the black dragon lunged side to side-

He detached and rolled upright- diving down on the crystal flow with a torrent of whooshing fire- the flow eroding until Kalameet crashed down on it with the force of a comet shrouded in force and blew the entire thing away- the exposed, brightly glowing crystal inches from the black dragon's glowing- rusty eye-

"_No- no- no- no_!" Seathe screamed continually, too distressed to think as he slid over as fast as he could- crawling at the bringer of calamity as he turned about-

"_Yes- it is pretty, isn't it_?" he mocked, flicking his tail-

The obsidian pillar of his tail- one of the lightest and strongest dragon scales in the world- shattered the primordial crystal- it's light fading as Seathe bellowed in pain, a distinct- _vulnerability_ surrounding him as his magic lifted. The black dragon hunkered to the ground-

"_Now we play one of MY games_." He blew forward, his claws racking the ground as he charged towards Seathe with all his rage- but his eye was still- no- he was going to take him apart with his physical strength alone-

The mad scholar recovered, swinging his arm forward, the bringer of calamity jumping aside and grabbing the white dragon by the wrist and leaping from his hind legs, his entire body leaving the ground as his obsidian tail jumped forward- Kalameet's jaws crushing Seathe's brittle bones-

The obsidian blade tore the side of Seathe's head open like soft butter- his pale blue eyes bursting-

The mad scholar threw himself back, but Kalameet kept rotating- his teeth- stronger than steel ripping into Seathe's flesh and pulling the mad scholar's arm until a brittle crunch and spray of blue blood marked the removal of his foe's appendage- the pale dragon's arm falling from Kalameet's maw as he licked the sweet blue blood from his lips- his own black blood boiling with the high of combat.

The pale dragon threw his side tails wildly- Kalameet jumping side to side- one ramming him in the flank and pushing him aside, but his scales took the shock well, the bringer of calamity leaping back and swinging about as the pale drake's broken but free arm came down- missing him as Kalameet jumped back with a whirl and raked him over his exposed groin- a bulbous thing filled with crystal- with the weapon that was his tail

It tore open- the soul energy pouring from Seathe as the glowing light flickered a bit- the pale dragon leaning down and blasting the bringer of calamity with everything he had- the black dragon tucking himself in as he felt himself surrounded the crystals- their cursed energy seeping into him as the mad scholar entombed him in a great ball- everything going quiet-

The orb started to crack- them tremble as a bright- angry red orb lit within it- the crystal exploding and soaking the area with flame- Seathe reeling from the shrapnel and heat washing over him- a shadow bursting from the dust and over the scholars head, sweeping around racking his spear-like claws down the mad scholar's back, landing behind him and jumping over his swinging tail, spinning and cutting deep into his back, each sweep of Seathe's flailing tails leaving the black dragon with another dive and another slash over the pale "dragon"…

* * *

Seathe stood tall- heaving heavily as torrents of blue blood flowed from his shredded flanks- his severed tails flopping limply on the ground- little more than pale pieces of shredded meat- his head foggy with all the strikes and claw marks- he remembered- remembered faintly the maidens- his Gwynevere- his crystal- all were gone- gone- _gone_-

He flexed the severed stumps that were once his arms- reaching for the monster- the bringer of calamity that dared cut him so deep- his blood pooling in an ocean around him-

There was a whoosh of wings, Kalameet flying eye to eye with the mad scholar- watching him growl in agitation as he tried to find something Kalameet hadn't torn apart- finding none- wheezing with fatigue.

"_It's over now_," Kalameet snarled, his eye dimming as he pressed everything into his throat- Seathe's head limply pulling up and filling with crystal energy- "_Die_." The mad scholar opened his glowing maw-

His throat filled with black fire- his gullet swelling out as Kalameet unleashed the full torrent of his might into the throat of Seathe- the mad scholar convulsing as he burned from the inside out, finally collapsing into charred bones- a grimace of horror not unlike his test subjects frozen to his petrified skull.

That evening- night was turned to day over Anor Londo- as the great duke's archives, a testament to knowledge and the wisdom of the gods, fell into calamity…

* * *

Winner: Kalameet by apocalyptic flaming death.

Was there ever any doubt? Seathe is deformed wannabe dragon while Kalameet is a fucking force of nature- he should've been the carrier of the lord soul, hands down, no question (had he been alive at this point, which he isn't if you go by cannon). Seathe had many advantages in ranged combat, but in close quarters combat Kalameet was superior in every category and proved far too much for Seathe to manage, Kalameet's strongest weapon being Seathe's greatest weakness sealing the deal.

As Mr. Selfish pointed out, had the battle taken place in Kalameet's home territory- far from the primordial crystal- Seathe would've eventually prevailed as Kalameet's scales were slowly broken away and he wore himself down with his high speed movements and extensive use of fire, none of which could hurt the white dragon.

However, in a fair fight, Kalameet is the undeniable strongest of the ancient dragons- no question.

This is probably the most one sided raping that will appear in these fights- future ones should have more balance, but nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed :3


	2. Havel vs Tarkus

A/N: Just another deathmatch between two of best fighters in the game. I'll be continuing my novelization soon (rest easy fans, you are not forgotten) but I was once again bored and decided to do another battle :3

* * *

Bishop Havel the Rock vs Black Iron Tarkus, the champion of the occult vs the conqueror of Sen's fortress and the iron golem, the strongest of Gwyn's priests vs the mightiest of the mighty, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

* * *

**Strength:**

-Havel: fights with armor and weaponry so heavy it'd crush the average man just trying to lift it- albeit with the assistance of a powerful enchanted ring, making his true strength hard to tell.

-Tarkus: The warriors of Berenike were the mightiest of the mighty, and Tarkus was the strongest of the Berenike- wearing a set of heavy black iron no other man could bear.

-Advantage: Even

**Speed:**

-Havel: a walking tank, the bishop saunters along at a slow but steady pace- the weight of his armor near unbearable

-Tarkus: The black iron knight is accustomed to the incredible weight of his armor- allowing him to move at a light jog when he needs to.

-Advantage: Tarkus

**Agility:**

-Havel: due to the great bulkiness and unwieldy weight of his weapon, the bishop has difficulty turning and striking accurately against small targets.

-Tarkus: though he isn't the fastest, and rolling and jumping are fairly difficult though doable when needed, the black iron knight was able to cross Satan's funhouse of nightmares and maneuver around the iron golem.

-Advantage: Tarkus

**Build:**

-Havel: the bishop is the size of a normal human- but his armor is incredibly stout and balanced, rendering him all but impossible to stagger or topple

-Tarkus: Smaller than a beast but a beast of man, like his Berenike brethren- giving him a very long reach

-Advantage: Havel

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Havel: a warrior of incredible proficiency and experience, sadly, he's been ravaged by hollowing for uncounted many years- eroding his old skills to a shadow of their past glory and disabling his ability to reason or restrain himself.

-Tarkus: A warrior of the highest class, he's very skilled with his weapons and equipment- finding weakness in the unstoppable iron golem and carving a path through the deadly Sen's fortress.

-Advantage: Tarkus

**Armor:**

-Havel: His armor is carved from the very mountains- so heavy it needs restrictive chains to keep it from crushing itself under its own weight. It's all but indestructible and can take any and all punishment be it lightning, magic, or fire.

-Tarkus: Wears a unique set of armor crafted of a black, slightly tarnished iron, lighter than the armor of giants but almost as strong and able to take most punishment.

-Advantage: Havel

**Weapons:**

-Havel: Wields the fang of an immortal dragon as a club. Hundreds of pounds, it can stagger, crush, and break nearly anything in just a few swings. Harder than the strongest stone, it never breaks.

\- Tarkus: Carries a standard greatsword of steel- which has clearly seen plenty of abuse from its wielder since visible cracks and nicks cover its surface.

Advantage: Havel

**Magic:**

-Havel: the bishop despises magic, the only spell he permits himself to use a magic barrier to suppress magicians.

-Tarkus: uses no magic at all, only his mighty strength

-Advantage: neither

**Miracles:**

-Havel: was once a bishop, but betrayed the gods to the occult when he discovered the harboring of Seathe and his dark experiments. No longer possesses any noticeable power.

-Tarkus: no connection to the gods, just a great warrior

-Advantage: neither

**Pyromancy:**

-Havel: his inner flame is yet untapped

-Tarkus: his armor resists flame like no other, but the black iron knight himself has none

-Advantage: neither

**Darkness:**

-Havel: the bishop has no connection to the abyss

-Tarkus: again, the black iron knight wields no magic

-Advantage: neither

**Special:**

-Havel: a purely martial fighter with no special tricks, though his shield can infuse him with the strength of the mountain to further boost his defense and poise

-Tarkus: an ordinary man beyond his physical might

-Advantage: Havel

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Havel: all but impervious to all damage, and hits very hard, but is also very slow and cumbersome

-Tarkus: his strength is great, but he can be toppled by a hard enough hit

-Advantage: Havel

**Overall combat skills:**

-Havel: fought the enemies of the gods- including the chaos demons after the disaster in Izalith- with incredible strength, fighting again in the occult war against the gods, though he later failed and was imprisoned forever in a stone watchtower.

-Tarkus: defeated every challenge between him and the bells of awakening, conquered Sen's fortress, felled the invincible iron golem which had stopped heroes dead for a century, and fought his way into Anor Londo- his life cut short by a fall from the rafters of the painting hall, else he may have gone further still.

-Advantage: Even

**Totals:**

Havel: 7

Tarkus: 5

* * *

**-The Duel-**

The dim lights of the candles along the wall flickered, a large- forlorn shape sitting against the greying wall of the hard stone prison. The door by the old bishop- seeming made of frail wood- was as impenetrable as ever- a seal placed upon it by the gods- though the great fang of the everlasting dragon managed to dent a few boards- cracks webbing around the ancient wood where the tip- three hundred pounds of primordial stone stronger than a wrecking ball- sunk in.

He was long hollow, now- the bishop's scraps of thought running in circles as his stone armor- pale and faintly mosey with age- slowly cemented to walls- his ancient- hollowed body decaying away in its shell- yet something- a name- a vengeance- a bloodthirst- kept him from losing his fighting spirit- just yet

Then- something unexpected happened- the old bishop hearing the sound of creaking metal high- high- above- at the peak of his stone prison echoing down, the sound of metal on stone telling him- stair- something was on the stairs. The door was open-

"_Seathe-_" he growled in a low, gravelly voice, though he couldn't even remember who that was or why he felt the burning desire to destroy him. Nonetheless- the bishop crouched down, dust falling from the joints of his armor as the ancient joints ground into new motion, his gloves- like barrels of stone with thick, black sausage fingers wrapping around the hilt of the dragon's fang- the cobblestone floor letting up a protest as the crescent hammer was drug along.

* * *

The watchtower was deathly silent and still- save the steps of Black Iron Tarkus as he scaled down the stairs, trying not to trip since his feet were so much bigger than the pitiful, rotting stone slabs trying to support him. Still, as Tarkus passed one level after the next- his boots clacking on the stone as darkness enveloped the majority of the tower and the way ahead of him, he couldn't help but feel leery.

There was a presence in this tower- something ancient- something great concealed in this empty place, but as Berenike's greatest soldier, there was no way he was going to back away from whatever came from the darkness.

* * *

Tarkus reached the last level, slowing as he entered the base of the tower- into a circular chamber lit with a single great torch by a door, it's light flooding the room. Then, the black iron knight saw him, or rather _it_…

It was short- perhaps the size or a normal human, though his armor was so wide it made him look rather squat, his shoulder plates, leggings, and grieves larger than Tarkus' head. His head twitched, the stone crest on the back of his head moving around as the bishop looked up at him through the vertical slits of his nautical helm-

The black iron knight faced him down a moment, before the bishop started forward, his body awkwardly lurching as he pulled a great club like nothing the Berenike had seen over his shoulder and drew a shield- a solid sheet of flowing, chiseled rock in front of him.

Whatever this stone beast was, it was not friendly, Tarkus drawing his greatsword to his side and bringing his black iron greatshield to bear- rushing down the steps at the bishop-

The Berenike threw himself into a forward thrust- aiming for the slits in the bishop's helm- his only apparent weakness, Havel raising his shield-

The greatsword struck the shield- Tarkus stunned as the stone warrior dug a foot in and stopped the massive Berenike dead- Tarkus stumbling a little as his blow threw him off balance, Havel leaning his shoulder forward and letting the dragon fang fall as he brushed his shield aside.

Tarkus jumped back, the monstrous club shattering the stair under his feet as though it were gingerbread- the black iron knight withdrawing as the bishop yanked his club back and threw it onto his shoulder.

This space was too narrow- Tarkus'd be crushed to death in an instant- Havel sliding his greatshield onto his back and grapping the fang in both hands, heaving as he threw the dragon's fang forward and blew a crater in the stairs, the Berenike swinging his greatsword with all his might before the club could be hoisted-

The blade made a solid ting as it struck Havel's shoulder plate, the Rock shrugging it off and surging forward, letting his fang stay buried in the ground until it was behind him, the rock throwing all his weight forward into a second enormous swing, the Berenike turning and jogging out of reach as the blow caught a weakened section of stair and detached a chunk of the tower- a set of steps creaking and breaking away.

The bishop watched Tarkus disappear ahead, waiting on the floor above as Havel tried to find a way around the hole he made, his chains dragging in the powder as he scaled up-

Tarkus crouched by the stairwell, his mighty blade at the ready as he watched the steps beneath him in the dim candlelight. Never in his life- or undeath- had he ever encountered a force as downright unbreakable as this knight, but he had to overcome-

The heavy thumping of stone armor alerted the Berenike as the bishop came into his vision, thrusting forward as hard as he could into the back of the stone knight's neck- but the armor had no opening between the helm and the rock spires on his back, the blade pressing the bishop forward, causing him to stumble up the steps a bit, but the wide plates around his hips kept him firmly anchored-

Havel spun around, raising his club and prompting Tarkus to jump back from his ledge- the stone club driving his place on the floor- wooden boards and all- into the stairs below, the dragon fang lifting as the rock lifted his club and came up to the black iron knight's level, full charge as the Berenike fought to find a way into Havel's armor- which seemed completely impregnable.

The bishop swung his club to the side, Tarkus jumping back, only for the bishop to bring it to his other shoulder and smash it downwards, the black iron knight stepping aside as it crashed at his feet- thrusting his greatsword forward to his eye-

The blade crashed into Havel's rotund gauntlet- a few enchanted chains snapping as the greatsword glanced to the side. Havel dragging the fang from the ground as the black iron knight fought to knock it aside- his blade making a tremendous crack against the sides dragon fang, but the enchanted tooth glanced all his blows aside- Tarkus watching in horror as his greatsword started to break apart under the force of striking the rock.

If he kept this up- he was done for- no way could he expect to beat this hollow by outmuscling him. The black iron knight moved away, the fang crashing at his feet-

_Have to think of something- think- think- _Tarkus raised his shield as the bishop drove his dragon fang forward-

For the first time in the Berenike's life- he was knocked from his feet, his toes leaving the ground as he fell towards the stairway a few lengths away on his back- noticing a large dent in his black iron shield-

The bishop lifted a foot from the ground, trying to balance the force of his great fang, resting it again and coming towards Tarkus-

The black iron knight rolled aside, the fang coming down at his side, the bishop hammering it down again and again as the Berenike tried to roll around and avoid it, finally getting his feet under him and leaping around the bishop, falling to his stomach and fighting to get upright as his black iron armor heavily slid over itself-

The bishop slid his shield back into his hand, leaning heavily to the side and dipping his fang to near the ground- Tarkus turning and raising his shield as the bishop spun around-

The white emblem warped as the shield imploded in- the Berenike feeling pain grip his senses as he was again sent off his feet towards the edge of the stairwell, his shield bouncing down the steps below as he drove his sword into the wood of the floor to stay on his feet, his shield arm hanging limply and bent almost completely around.

The bishop charged once more, less of a rock and more of a wall- the black iron knight stepping around as the fang came down-

Tarkus- in a last ditch effort to stop this beast of a man- rammed his shoulder into Havel's back, the bishop staggering forward as he tried to keep his balance, having swung the dragon's tooth so hard- the Berenike heaving as he pushed the rock forward, until the weight behind his shoulder dropped off- the bishop falling into the hole and clattering on the stairs-

The black iron knight jumped down to join him as Havel started clumsily to his feet- finding his balance as Tarkus again rammed his shoulder into the rock- bracing his foot on the wall and grunting as his broken arm was pressed between them-

Havel was heavier- but Tarkus had more leverage- pushing the rock from the edge and watching as he fell down from the stairs spiraling down the wall- falling through the air on his back as he reached up- still grasping his unshakable stone weapons-

An echo blew through the desolate tower, sounding like a cannon as the rock crashed into the stone below- belly up- his face open-

Tarkus dove from the stairway- stretching his greatsword before him- aiming for the vertical slits of Havel's eyes as he looked up on the falling black warrior- Tarkus hearing the rush of wind in his ears as the rock swelled in his vision-

It was done- the greatsword bit hard into the stone-

Of the rock's greatshield- his blade bending an instant before it shattered at the center, the broken blade tinging as it bounced away, the hilt coming back and hitting Tarkus in the center of the head- his black iron helm ringing as he staggered back, the force of his fall soaking right to mind as he numbly fell on his back-

The sound of falling boulders marked the rise of Havel to his feet, the bishop looking down on the crippled black iron warrior and stepping over to him- raising his dragon fang as the black iron knight tried to scramble to his feet-

The bishop crushed him into the ground, the knight going back to the ground- the hollowed rock bringing it down again- crumpling the chestplate- then again and again- ensuring the black iron warrior would never rise again- the immortal dragon fang roaring as the black iron knight was reduced to a paste with scrap pressing in as Havel continued the beating- cratering the ground-

Finally- the bishop went still, turning to the stairs and starting up- blood once again dripping from his dragon's tooth as he ventured up- to the surface- to Seathe-

* * *

Winner: Havel by decisive knockout

Tarkus came damn close to winning this one- I was actually juggling who would strike the final blow (the score tells you how "matched", they are but it isn't the god-score that determines the winner absolutely) in my mind as I was writing it, which made it all the more satisfying to crown the victor :3

Tarkus was more than able to evade Havel's attacks, being more nimble and lighter- but he still couldn't roll quite fast enough (I wasn't sure what "class" his roll was, but i aimed for roughly medium, thanks for pointing that out Varbos :3), forcing him to block at a few key times and when it comes to fang vs black iron, fang won.

The other thing that decided the winner was how goddamned indestructible Havel's armor is: with such ludicrous poise it made opening an opportunity to attack very hard for our brave black iron Tarkus, while it allowed the bishop to attack and defend easily with very little energy.

Another deciding factor was the dragon fang- in terms of both destructive power and durability- was vastly superior to the faster but weaker greatsword: the few hits that connected were absolutely devastating while Tarkus' many hits were unable to match up.

In the end, I had to give the fight to Bishop Havel: the murderer of masterkey n00bs :3

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the battle, agree with the outcome, and will continue to enjoy my work :3


	3. Gwyn Vs Allant

A/N: once again I decided I was up for a one shot, especially since I got a request for it from Alone in the Blight in yonder review list (please review, I feel cold and lonely watching my views shoot up with no favorites, follows, or reviews), and damn- is this a duel for the ages: Gwyn vs Allant.

I've seen the debates but I haven't thought to do a formal battle for it till' now and I must say this is going to be one of the most emotional, badass, over the top, destructive battles I've come up with since this will feature two of the most ludicrously powerful and deadly bosses in the Dark Souls universe- two examples of awesome bosses that weren't utter disappointments in the later stages. This probably has the highest density of any fight I've written in Fanfiction- much more so than Kalameet vs Seathe, but I didn't have the heart to snip it short and ruin the opportunity to explore the kings' characters :3

Now, without further procrastination, on with the battle!

* * *

Gwyn, the lord of sunlight vs Allant, the false king of Boletaria, the slayer of the dragons who carved a new world order versus the champion of the Old One and bringer of demons into the land, the king who feared the age of man versus the destroyer of man, the Lord of the Lords who rose to godhood and commanded legions of great knights versus the king who despaired and turned man and himself into demons, the carrier of the lord soul versus the devourer of souls, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

* * *

**Strength:**

-Gwyn: even hollowed with his soul broken into pieces, the lord of sunlight showed levels of strength beyond any other humanoid in Lordran- proving extremely damaging even against the stone shield of Havel.

-Allant: the false king, who stands in for the mutated, corrupted true king Allant, has been endowed with incredible strength by Allant and the old one, his sword so powerful it can cut opponents even if they are standing far away from him.

Advantage: even

**Speed:**

-Gwyn: able to leap and run freely, his giant body leaping large distances to overtake opponents who try to flee

-Allant: uses ultra-concentrated soul energy to project himself forward with incredible momentum, jumping and moving in all directions effortlessly

-Advantage: Allant

**Agility:**

-Gwyn: very dexterous for a man of his size, maneuvering his greatsword with little trouble with a variety of moves to keep his opponents on edge

-Allant: his body has been heavily augmented by the old one, giving him the ability to move and attack in rapid succession without dropping his guard, his acrobatics far into superhuman levels

-Advantage: Even

**Build:**

-Gwyn: very imposing, standing over seven feet tall with a heavy greatsword that swings at a very wide angle- attacking him head on is extremely dangerous

-Allant: just over seven feet tall, the false king is roughly human sized and slender, rendering him fast but easily staggered

-Advantage: Gwyn

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Gwyn: recognized as the supreme ruler Lordran- has never encountered an adversary he couldn't best or a beast he couldn't topple. His one and only equal with a greatsword is the knight Artorias, all others novices by comparison. Able to act swiftly and decisively, overwhelming opponents with unrelenting punishment.

-Allant: The true king Allant once peered into the very nature of the soul and harnessed power beyond measure from the depths, his knowledge in combat passing to the False King after the failed attempt to make him a demon. Allant is very aggressive and unable to speak, but reacts extremely fast and demonstrates incredible co-ordination at high speeds, his skill with a blade unparallelled by humans and demons alike.

-Advantage: even

**Armor:**

-Gwyn: wears ornate, royal robes trimmed to be light but flexible. Very little defensive class but his skin is rock hard as he is a deity

-Allant: wears gold hemmed white robes that offer little defense, but the false king has an incredible level of vitality and can take a great deal of damage before breaking

-advantage: even

**Weapons:**

-Gwyn: wields a custom-made greatsword, which shines gold with lightning and strikes down all who oppose his righteous reign of light

-Allant: carries the legendary black blade Soulbrandt, which repulses man by sucking their very life-force from them

-Advantage: Allant

**Magic:**

-Gwyn: uses sunlight and lightning, not soul magic

-Allant: the false king was endowed with incredible offensive force, which he can release as a localized blast of white power that levels everything in a large area

-Advantage: Allant

**Miracles:**

-Gwyn: invented the majority of spells used by clerics and warriors of sunlight in Lordran, including healing from his daughter, lighting spear to smite the immortal dragons, and sunlight blade to make his greatsword strike harder against the dark

-Allant: a lord of demons with little use for the gods, save the old one

-Advantage: Gwyn

**Pyromancy:**

-Gwyn: manipulates the power of the strongest of the lord souls, even going so far as to swath his blade in the first flame- weather or not he wields fire in battle, however, in undetermined.

-Allant: Allant does not command the power of fire, as Boletaria is a land of fog and darkness.

-Advantage: neither

**Darkness:**

-Gwyn: the lord of sunlight abhors the abyss, and goes to unconscionable lengths to eradicate the dark

-Allant: born of the melancholy king and the old one, but the colorless fog radiates not from him, but the dragon god.

-Advantage: neither

**Special:**

-Gwyn: already wields power beyond comprehension, needing no additional tricks to prevail.

-Allant: the old one bequeathed the false king all the strength he could ever need to defend the seat of power in Boletaria

-Advantage: neither

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Gwyn: his one and only weakness is the dark, which flickers the lord soul within him

-Allant: being small for a demon, Allant can be knocked around if he allows his guard to drop

-Advantage: Gwyn

**Overall combat skills:**

-Gwyn: a god among his people, who vanquished the dragons, commanded legions of knights and four loyal warriors of unparalleled prowess, and remained one of the most powerful warriors in existence long after hollowing, breaking his soul apart, and burning the remains as kindling.

-Allant: the false king, who subjugated some of the greatest knights in Boletaria as his pawns, commanded great drakes and wyverns as his personal guards, and breathed life into countless demons, all from the comfort of his great, impenetrable throne room, from which he gazes over the cursed land as an unconquerable monarch.

-Advantage: even

**Total:**

-Gwyn: 8

-Allant: 8

**-The Duel-**

* * *

The wind whistled gently over the ramparts of castle Boletaria, the false king gazing over the cold, defiled city below- his vision occasionally disrupted by the wings of a drake passing by, on the way to some forlorn corner of the ruined kingdom below to find more humans… more souls…

The False king, called "Allant" after his creator, sometimes got the faintest inklings of thought in his cold, dark mind- wondering if he was truly a unique demon- or simply an imperfect replica of the true king- the wannabe king- Allant.

Or maybe he was a shadow of nothing- the silent face of these forsaken lands, the instrument of the Old One's will.

It didn't matter, though- his might was beyond the highest classes his demons, his blade- soulbrandt impaled in the ruble at his side- was peerless in its ability to end life… no one, no one in this world was a match for this false king, not even the demons he spawned from himself.

So, he was left to his broken throne- alone- silently waiting for the world to die.

A disturbance came into the air, Allant's cloak rustling a little as his golden eyes lifted from the streets below to the horizon. There was a disturbance in the air- the colorless fog which never broke beneath the force of the dragon god was quivering- quivering with something bearing in on Boletaria, Allant's nation.

It wasn't unusual- all people desired his demon's souls, seeking some great power for themselves- but this was different- the false king sending a silent, but loud message to his demons and legions to converge on the place in the veil that was slowly starting to break down- the horizon beyond the walls warping in distress as a tremendous light pressed on the fabric of his dark universe-

Allant realized then- that this was no mere intrusion, this was an invasion- the veil tearing like sheets as a wave of silver broke through-

The false king closed his eyes- soaring over the decayed grasses and outer provinces as he peered through the eyes of his drakes as they bore down on the wave of intruders- pouring through the gap in the veil in legions- who were they?

The silver knights at the back planted great golden bows into the ground- arrows the size of spears filling the air like iron snow as they flew over the legions, Allant feeling a faint pain in his spirit as the drakes were struck down, falling from the sky under the hail of arrows and even streaks of bound lightning- tearing into their scales and sending their limp forms to oblivion.

These intruders- they were from a land of dragons- their weapons were made to strike them down.

The largest of his drakes- sensing the false king's eyes peering through it, bore down on the front line of the silver knights, avoiding the arrows as the knights at the front broke ranks and charged towards the hollowed forces of Boletaria and uncounted many demons-

There were four at the front line- the drake peering in on them-

A knight, whose face was shrouded by an azure hood with a wolf's helm, bearing a powerful enchanted greatsword in one hand, and an ornate onyx greatshield in the other-

There was a spearmen- a knight clad in pure gold, walking confidently at the head with a holy lance that sparked with lightning, his helm in the aspect of a mighty lion-

There was one towards the rear, a blue lady with two gleaming swords- silver and gold, her face obscured by a porcelain mask-

Then- the fourth turned and peered back at the drake- all the way through to the false king himself, his murky green eyes and elderly face- rimmed with snow white hair and a great golden crown on his brow. He carried tremendous authority- but also hatred- a pure- pure hatred for Allant and his demon's soul- bringing his arm back and materializing a great spear of lightning- thrusting it forward-

The drake's vision flashed- going black- the false king letting his eyes raise once more, surveying the distant war from his great fortress in the heavens.

It looked like Allant wasn't the only king in Boletaria, anymore…

* * *

The drakes shrieked overhead, two or three circling down towards the lord of sunlight-

Gwyn waved his hand, the force of Boletaria's lightning arcing from the clouds and tearing through the drakes- their scales blowing away as they fell limp, bouncing off the sides of the sides of the bridge. Even in this foreign land- the lightning and sun were Gwyn's to command, another drake soaring down from above- its flames pouring out on the lord of sunlight-

The chief lord soul possessed the flames, the dragonfire trailing around Gwyn as the drake flew over his head, the lord of sunlight bringing his arm back and feeling the tinge of lightning in his fingers- thrusting the massive lance forward-

The spear- with an aim truer than even his sharpest archers- tore into the base of the drake's stomach, piecing the back of his heart and sending the wretched thing spiraling down as his wings lost strength. He'd felled the ancient dragons with this very move- these drake's nothing compared to that force-

"My Lord," the serene, unmistakable voice of Ornstein voiced as he paced down the bridge to stand by the lord of sunlight, "We've secured the main gate- Gough and his dragon archers are now on the high ground. The drakes are falling fast- the sky should be clear for our men to pass deeper into the city, now." Gwyn nodded, gentle but nonetheless guarded in these darkened lands,

"What of Sir Artorias?" he asked, a sigh escaping the dragonslayer's gold helm,

"He's abandoned his group- again." He muttered, irritated at his subordinate, "No doubt finding more demons to slay."

"Artorias and his men are without equal- in this or any land," Gwyn calmly reassured, "They can take care of themselves." Still, if the wolfish knight would just learn to fight with his team, rather than trying to solve everything single handed- he would no doubt succeed Ornstein as knight captain- the lion knight trying with little success to persuade Sir Artorias to do so.

Soldiers started pouring down the bridge, the captain of the knights placing himself before Gwyn as the lord of sunlight reached for his royal greatsword- forged by the great giants of gold and blessed steel.

But- the hollows stopped- some unseen force withdrawing them, the lord of sunlight narrowing his emerald eyes, and starting forward,

"Ornstein."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Keep the advance steady- eradicate every demon you can find- leave none of those filthy creatures alive. I will press on, myself."

"Sir-"

"There is a darkness," Gwyn muttered, stopping as he scanned the upper levels of the great fortress ahead- all but feeling something- off, peering down on him, "A tremendous darkness. Tis' beyond you, your knights will need you more than I." Ornstein hesitated, but tapped the butt of his spear to the ground, bowing respectfully,

"Very good, my liege. May your battle bring you great victory." The lion knight left, waving his hand to rally a force of spearmen at his flanks to sweep the streets.

Gwyn was on his own- now, but the lord of sunlight, the king of the realm's greatest army, was far from daunted as he advanced on the fortress to parlay with this lord of the dark, who dared spread fog and demons to the land.

* * *

The way to the palace was clear- the invisible hand of the king, who was giving Gwyn increasingly ominous vibes, moving all opposition from the lord of sunlight's path. It seemed increasingly clear that the king wanted to fight the great lord Gwyn- face to face. And, disturbingly, Gwyn started to wonder if, however remotely, there was a possibility he could lose.

The lift ground to a stop- the doors sliding open for Gwyn to step through, the lift automatically withdrawing as he stepped from the rickety platform, into a large hall filled with light, periotic pillars and gates along the edges that were still fairly intact over the years- though great holes in the wall and ceiling spilt faint grey light all across the room.

As Gwyn ascended a small rise of stairs, he was met with an ivory throne- broken and neglected, and just beyond that, the false king of Boletaria.

Without looking, Allant drew his black sword- soulbrandt- from the rubble and turned on the lord of sunlight, letting his flowing white cape fall from him, as he wouldn't need it for this battle.

The lord of sunlight drew his own sword: the greatsword of the divines shining with mirror like perfection, Gwyn's lightning dancing over it as his sunlight poured over the blade, the two kings pointing their ceremonial weapons at one another in the desecrated throne room-

"Allant," Gwyn called, his soft voice resonating through the hall like the bay of distant thunder, "For the practice of soul arts, the breeding of drakes, and the spawning of demons and colorless fog, for corrupting this land- I, Gwyn, the lord of light, sentence you to death." He growled, "What say you?"

The false king was primal, more beast than man, but nonetheless wondered himself a moment- before his shadow of humanity left him. His golden eyes, deep set and weary, lit with rage as he caught scent of Gwyn's lord soul- stronger than the strongest demon soul-

Allant responded with a growl- demonic light pouring around him- sweeping over his right side like wings-

"So be it." Gwyn snarled, lightning flaring over his body and blade- the two lords driving their souls to the highest resonance- gold and white sweeping around the castle in waves and oceans-

The knights of Gwyn and Allant both gave pause, feeling a drop in the air- watching the sky above darken as fog and lightning begun to sweep up and dance on the horizon- the sky boiling over with energy.

Their gods were at war, now

The false king tucked his arm back, driving forward with enough force to crack the ground under his feet, Gwyn intercepting him with his greatsword-

Their swords struck one another so hard the air distorted around them, Gwyn parrying it to the sky and sending a wave of concussion around the room- driving the two lords apart and cratering the ground below them as dust shook from the ceiling.

Gwyn and Allant landed simultaneously, the false king driving forward again, bringing soulbrandt over his head while the lord of sunlight brought his sword down to his hip and drove up, the two swords intercepting one another-

The false king's blade was reflected up and away, Gwyn bringing his greatsword around to strike Allant in the side, but the false king was fast to bring his blade back to parry the lord of sunlight away, Gwyn driving forward on the false king, king Allant shifting his feet and evading the vertical slashing before he flipped back and away, arcing his blade-

Soulbrandt discharged its soul energy, Gwyn barely bringing his greatsword up to block the crescent of force that impacted his blade as Allant hit the ground plunging his sword, an arc of force tearing a hole through the floor, Gwyn jumping aside to evade it-

Allant blew forward- catching Gwyn off his feet, the lord of sunlight's fist flashing, Allant projecting around the gargantuan bolt of lightning as it ripped through the floor and demolished a wall- the metal gate twisting into a gnarled briar of iron- the false king leaping forward- but the instant he dodged the lightning was all the time Gwyn needed to gain his footing, driving his sword upward in both hands and sweeping Allant off the ground as he blocked-

The false king hit a pillar- bracing himself on the vertical surface and jumping off- the pillar exploding in two under his feet as he crashed down on Gwyn's greatsword, the false king reflecting off the lightning-bound blade and hitting the opposite wall running up the vertical marble-

That evaporated as a lance Gwyn's lightning drilled through the pillar and wall into the open sky- the false king backflipping out of the plume of dust and plunging his sword into the ground as it flashed a dazzling white-

Gwyn's ears blew out as he shielded his eyes- the explosion blowing him off his feet and sending chunks of floor in all directions as the spiral of white light tore the earth apart.

The lord of light recovered as he heard soulbrandt tearing through the ground- Gwyn opening his spotty eyes and seeing the false king closing in on the prone lord of sunlight-

Gwyn thrust his hand out- the false king remembering his drakes and jumping aside as lighting poured from the sky and shredded the marble floor- rafters falling from the ceiling as the golden web lanced down from the heavens-

The stone pillars fell towards the false king, Allant sweeping up with a flurry of slashes- the columns projecting dust from the gashes that appeared over them as they burst into wedges flying from the king- Allant looking over as Gwyn thrust his hand out-

Allant ran from the pillar of lightning- Gwyn sweeping it just behind him, a few stray arcs burning the false king's royal white robes as he turned to Gwyn and blew himself forward- jumping with a flurry of slashes-

The lord of sunlight stopped his lightning, his greatsword moving like mercury to intercept the crescents of force bearing on him- a few slipping through- a hollow grinding sound marking the massive gash over Gwyn's toughened skin- his rock-hard muscles the only thing keeping his arm from being severed as golden ichor flowed from the wound-

The false king hit Gwyn's greatsword, the lord of sunlight bashing him into the air and slashing at him- the false king spinning and intercepting the shot- the force knocking him upright-

Gwyn's fist drove into the false king's chest- Allant spitting blood as he was blown into the air- the back of his head banging a stone rafter hard enough to cave it in-

His vision dotted- blood continuing to pour from the false king's mouth as he flipped through the air and crashed into the ground at the top of his head-

His skeleton was hard as the marble of his palace- but Gwyn's hit was too great for even the false king to take without injury, Allant looking up at the lord of sunlight as he fell from the air in a plunging dive-

Soulbrandt caught the edge of the greatsword, redirecting it to the side as he nimbly flipped upright- the lord of sunlight driving his foot into the false king's hurt side and launching him across the room, the ribs on his left shattering as he drug across the ground- the stone floor turning red as the false king's skin ground away-

Allant worked himself up, his body aching as he felt his left lung heave and go still- filling with blood as all his ribs pierced it, his once flawless face torn up with road rash-

Were he human, there'd be no way he could move- and if he took another hit on that side, all his organs including his heart would be crushed- no surviving that- demon or not.

But… The false king saw the lord of sunlight wasn't faring perfectly himself: gold ichor continued to flow down his arm in force- a cut top to bottom severing several arteries- and keeping up with a smaller, faster target and exerting all his lightning was taking a massive amount energy to keep up, the lord of sunlight panting a little as he gathered strength.

Neither of the lords were accustomed to fighting something- someone- on their level- their strength and durability neutralizing eachother- they felt- almost human…

The false king- without even a name to call his own- pushed himself the rest of the way to his feet, breathing a little easier as his augmented body tried it's best to adapt to the damage-

The lord of sunlight- feeling the pressure of a strong opponent for the first time in his long, long life, directed some of his light into his arm- the ichor slowing as the wound begun to close, though healing the bite of soulbrandt- even a projection of it- was no small feat-

The kings came at eachother once again, the false king sending a blast from soulbrandt towards Gwyn's face, the lord of sunlight breaking it with his sword, bringing it back down to catch the false king as he dodged around the side-

But it was a feint- Allant jumping the other way, into the swinging blade-

"What!?" Gwyn shouted as his royal greatsword rolled over the false king's back- the lord of sunlight seeing it grinding over a sliver of black brought behind him-

Soulbrandt jumped back to Allant's front with a flick of the wrist, swinging his body into the hilt as the cursed blade came around and cut deep into Gwyn's exposed leg- from thigh to ankle-

The lord of sunlight bellowed- falling to a knee-

This was his chance- the false king unleashing his most fearsome attack- his demon senses targeting the resting place- soulbrandt driving into Gwyn's bosom-

the tip plunging into the lord soul itself-

Gwyn bellowed- a feeling like hollowing- only a thousand times colder and more painful filling him as he raised his head and bellowed- his white beard blowing up like storm clouds as he felt the lord soul's immortal flame drawing from his core into the black sword- cold beyond measure digging in- like frostbite on frostbite infinitely as the light outside flashed with the sunlight lord's distress-

Just a moment longer-

Gwyn's knuckles drove into Allant's chest- the lord weakened, but the false king still poured blood from his mouth- coughing as tears squeezed from his darkened eyes- feeling his unprotected organs bursting under the fist of the lord of sunlight-

In a haze- the false king staggered back- Gwyn gripping Allant's wrist and jerking soulbrandt from his chest- fiery traces of the lord soul drawing out of the hole in the lord of sunlight's center and soaking into the blade like winter ice extinguishing flame.

The great lord of sunlight rose up from the false king- blood spurting from his cut leg- golden ichor soaking the his royal anklets as he fell back down, his back resting on the marble floor.

The false king's grip on soulbrandt loosened as he wheezed for breath, flat on his back near the lord of sunlight.

His left lung was completely destroyed beyond repair along with several torn muscles and pulled tendons- his heart perforated with shards of his ribs, beating erratically as it tried to correct itself, though the Old One never imagined having to compensate for this much damage.

Yes- never had Boletaria seen a more unquestionably powerful fighter as this lord of sunlight

Gwyn watched the clouds overhead, parts of the ceiling still collapsing at the edges of the ragged holes where his lightning had ripped through. He tried to call on the sky- the light to heal him- but the connection was- gone-

The lord soul within him- that had always- always given him the power to destroy all darkness, be it dragon or demon, was extinguished away by the cursed blade- Gwyn's connection to the divine power he held dear gone. Still, a part of him felt a sort of respect- admiration even, in a strange, bizarre sense.

He still detested the darkness of humanity, but had this demon of light been of the sun, he would have made such a splendid general- a lord worthy of Gwyn's respect.

But now, as it was, the two kings were exhausted, laying still on the ground as rain begun to fall, their godlike power, which held entire nations at their feet, spent in the arduous battle. They tried their hardest to breath in the cool, damp air as the white noise of rain poured over the broken throne room-

But, after a time- the false king decided- or rather realized, if he were to die here, he would die without a name- without ever having said a word- nothing but the shadow of Allant. His hands twitched in the rain gathering around them- trying to work the feeling in- his other numbed hand tightening on soulbrandt- one last time…

Gwyn realized- as he rested, his body intact but so weak he could barely lift himself- his precious lord soul weakened after it was struck by the cursed blade- that his people- his knights, with which he destroyed the dragons and brought light and joy to a sad, dark world, were out there: waiting for their king to come back to them.

He was no simple shell to a lord soul- he was a king, and right now, his kingdom needed him.

The giant reached deep within- finding the lord soul still there, just stunned with the shock of cold- Gwyn digging his elbow into the ground and pushing himself over to his belly, his crown sagging a little as he drug his sword under him, pushing himself up-

The false king got to his feet, staggering to the side and falling, trying to get his feet under him as his insides screamed in protest and his air was choked with blood, his pale face ashen with anemia- though he kept his hold on soulbrandt, the blade of the highest of demons-

Finally, the two kings staggered to their feet- and came forward, their hands slowly leaping from their sides-

Gold ichor and black blood hit the ground-

Gwyn's royal greatsword- long as the average man was tall- was driven all the way through the heart of the false king, the tip digging into the ground behind him.

Soulbrandt- a blade that kills at the slightest touch to a normal mortal- just barely lanced the skin of the lord of sunlight- miniscule drops of ichor falling. As hard as the false king strained, he could not reach any further- the black blade falling from his grasp and making a hollow clatter on the ground at the giant's feet.

The lord of sunlight fell back again, leaving his sword buried deep in the false king, watching his golden eyes fade- much like Gwyn's fire, Allant going limp and slowly sliding down the sword to the ground.

But- maybe this was better- maybe embracing the end of his hollow life- really- was-

The last sparks of life left the false king, Gwyn sighing with temporary relief- then- came the clattering of boots on the ground, Gwyn looking over to a group of blue eyed- black armored knights bearing down on him, the lord of sunlight sitting in a state of delirium- the very last of the very last of his energy spent-

"_You- lord of another land-_" A voice echoed, "_you may have defeated my demon, but you shall not prevail, this day! The Old One will have your soul!_" The blue eyed knights came upon the weakened lord of sunlight- it was over- he-

A shape twice the height of the knights fell in their ranks with a crash, the blue eyed knights squealing as a black and silver divine knight sword tore through them ten at a time at the front, the rear numbers getting blocked by a massive onyx shield- the giant spinning about on his foot and sweeping his greatsword upward, ejecting the blue eyed knights into the air in two pieces while a thrust impaled the other flank, a heavy silver boot crushing their chests as the great knight, swathed in azure with the silver helm of a wolf, tore his sword from them and effortlessly blocked a spear coming at his front- parting the onyx barrier long enough to drive his greatsword forward and rip the spearmen asunder- his shield tearing like paper under the force of this knight- unparalleled in the art of the great sword/shield- shredding through the ranks of soldiers with ease- like a machine as he roared mightily, swirling around and painting the room red with hollow blood as his divine sword flew about in a perfect circle-

The invisible voice roared in frustration as everything went still, the sound of rain replacing the sound of falling hollows, the faithful azure knight slowly drawing himself in- breathing deeply as he relaxed his sword and sheathed it again. Gwyn sighed in relief- laughing a little, even-

"I thought I told you to stay with your group, and didn't Ornstein order you to hold back?" the wolfen knight turned to his lord, his armor spotless as ever, unlike Gwyn at the moment-

"My Lord- you're hurt." He said, trying to keep his kind heart from giving into rage, seeing his lord bleeding and beaten, a blackened pit driven into his chest.

"It's nothing," Gwyn caressed gently, working himself to his feet and stumbling a bit, "But, I may need to rest, awhile." Artorias hesitated as he looked at the tranquil face of a wise man, his pale hair stained with blacked blood, his chest and body maimed with damage-

Yet he looked so peaceful.

Artorias drew the royal sword from the man, giving Gwyn his shieldarm to rest on as he walked him out, towards his people.

* * *

Winner: Gwyn, by the faith and loyalty of his people, and in his light

Wow, where do I start? This one really explains itself, I think, I don't even _KNOW_ what stars aligned to give me the inspiration for this, but nonetheless, I think this one needs little justification, one of my favorite and most satisfying projects hands down.

As always, I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to your questions, comments, reviews :3


	4. Metas Vs Ornstein

A/N: I was juggling two requests by Blight- one for Tower Knight vs Iron Golem, the other one this. They both sounded very sweet but in the end I settled on Metas vs Ornstein. I'm afraid the massive bolt of inspiration in the last fight was short lived, so this may be a little duller than Gwyn vs Allant but I'll nonetheless try my best :3

This versus project was originally a pet project next to the novelization but I'm actually enjoying these battles quite a bit and will likely stick with it a good while longer :3

I'm very- VERY sorry this chapter's been so schizophrenic, I've had a lot of exams lately and instead of doing the sensible thing and putting my FanFiction on hold, i tried to write and study at the same time "cuz imma supr author!"

Lesson learned: I'm going to put my content under much stricter review before publishing and I'm not going to publish when I'm sleep deprived and strung out on Algebra. Sorry for any confusion, inconvenience, or rage caused by my idiocy :3

* * *

Metas, the penetrator vs Ornstein, the Dragon Slayer, the silver knight versus the golden knight, two masters of the thrusting weapon, two master duelists, the elite champions of their king, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

**Strength:**

-Metas: The penetrator wields a sword longer and heavier than most spears with surprising grace, shattering pillars and piercing the heaviest shields and armor with his thrusting attacks.

-Ornstein: Though the dragon slayer focuses on speed and agility, he is still astoundingly strong- very few defenses can hold him back for long

-Advantage: Even

**Speed:**

-Metas: the penetrator is strong, but also very heavy- he can jump and lunge short distances to overtake opponents, but is restricted to a brisk jog.

-Ornstein: of the Four Knights of Gwyn, the dragonslayer is the fastest- able to glide over the ground blisteringly fast and keep in step with even the swiftest rogues

-Advantage: Ornstein

**Agility:**

-Metas: tends to be heavy handed- hits very hard and sweeps in very wide angles, but his movement is fairly simplistic

-Ornstein: uses short bursts of levitation and his shunpo to change his angle of attack and direction in an instant- his co-ordination so great he can seamlessly fight alongside partner without ever getting in the way or leaving an opening

-Advantage: Ornstein

**Build:**

-Metas: a large but streamlined demon, who takes advantage of his very long reach and wide angle of attack to keep opponents from reaching him

-Ornstein: the dragonslayer is actually a massive giant, but he prefers finesse over brawn and intentionally reduced his size to maneuver better.

-Advantage: Metas

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Metas: one of the five knights of Boletaria's round table- marking him as a warrior of great power even before his transformation into a demon by the false king. While the conversion seems to have enhanced his physical power, the effect on his mind is hard to say- though he seems to have no qualms attacking Biorr, his former comrade.

-Ornstein: the captain of the four knights of Gwyn, who fought at the front lines against the dragons and the occult. Calculated, patient, and highly adaptable, Ornstein never strikes first, never gives his opponents an opening, and never gives them the opportunity to run or heal.

-Advantage: Ornstein

**Armor:**

-Metas: Wears a set of tarnished black and silver plate mail, which offers him a great deal of protection from physical attacks while allowing him to use his arcing and thrusting attacks

-Ornstein: sports a set of shining golden plate mail with a faintly bronze hue, medium weight and defense, promoting flexibility and freedom of motion

-Advantage: even

**Weapons:**

-Metas: carries an extremely long thrusting sword enchanted with great magic power. Its blade is hard enough to piece armor and shields, and uses its leverage to place a ton of impact behind it

-Ornstein: brandishes a unique winged-spear crafted by the giants- used to tear at the scales of immortal dragons with lightning. Its hit radius and point of contact are both very small, but its flexibility in the hands of Ornstein gives it a wide variety of attack patterns and great precision.

-Advantage: Even

**Magic:**

-Metas: a martial fighter with no apparent magic skills, though his blade carries the intense blue hue of an enchantment

-Ornstein: uses the power of miracles, not magic

-Advantage: Metas

**Miracles:**

-Metas: a demon with no ties to the gods

-Ornstein: one of Gwyn's most trusted and powerful knights, the dragonslayer channels the power of lightning through his spear to electrocute opponents

-Advantage: Ornstein

**Pyromancy:**

-Metas: no apparent skills with pyromancy

-Ornstein: born with a rare vulnerability to fire, the dragonslayer cannot tap into his inner flame

-Advantage: Neither

**Darkness:**

-Metas: no connection to the abyss

-Ornstein: like his fellow giants and lords, the dragonslayer is highly vulnerable to corruption by the dark, and must avoid it at all costs

-Advantage: Neither

**Special:**

-Metas: beyond his unblockable thrusting attacks, the penetrator has no additional powers

-Ornstein: Though he despises its use for its dishonorable advantage and strengths that run counter to his skills, Ornstein can assume his true giant form when the need is dire- though doing so puts a tremendous strain on his body and usually requires another soul as a catalyst to perform safely.

-Advantage: neither

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Metas: Metas has few pronounced strengths, but few pronounced weaknesses

-Ornstein: very resistant to lightning, but only partly resistant to flame and very vulnerable to magic

-Advantage: Metas

**Overall combat skills:**

-Metas: One of the strongest knights in Boletaria, serving as a vanguard against invaders and showing little difficulty or hesitation in terminating friends and foes alike.

-Ornstein: an ancient knight of incredible power, head of Gwyn's armies in Lordran. Possibly the mightiest of Gwyn's followers, save the great lords themselves.

-Advantage: Even

**Total:**

-Metas: 7

-Ornstein: 8

**-The Duel-**

* * *

This wasn't going as planned.

Another row of silver knights was wiped out, a massive beast swinging its great black axe- the grinding of metal on metal sounding as their armor tore open, the finely polished metal staining blood red as Gwyn's soldiers fell to the ground. It had three piercing yellow eyes, glowing with power as it reared its head with a roar, gnashed its ugly teeth and charging forward.

A dragonarcher fired into it, the spear-like arrow sailing through the air and sticking in the creature's bloated stomach, but the demon barely seemed phased as its swung the back of its hand to the side and sent more soldiers crashing into the stands and carts around the city street. The archer bought another arrow from his quiver- hastily trying to knock it-

The demon grabbed him by the abdomen, crushing him in his armor and ramming his fist into the ground with the poor man inside- the elegant silver knight little more than paste.

The immortal knights began to retreat- warrior's that'd faced dragons running in terror as the demon rampaged.

"This is bad!" one shouted, his scrambling with his brethren and trying not to trip on the various obstacles of the rapidly deteriorating streets, another of the great demons ramming from around the corner ahead, his fist smashing an axe-wielder.

The two demons, one on each side, begun to enclose the regiment in,

"Where in Gwyn's name are our reinforcements!" a colonel shrieked.

Several shapes begun to fall behind the vanguard ahead, the silver knight looking to the towering defensive wall ahead, where several blue-eyed knights were being ripped apart and thrown over the edge-

The demon swung his axe again- a single shape bursting from the rampart above, his silhouette rimmed with gold as he angled his great holy spear.

The knight of Gwyn harnessed his sheer force and projected it behind him, diving down from above and driving his spear into the back of the vanguards head- lightning flaring around drove the demon into the ground- shattering the pavement and breaking the teeth from his maw. The gold knight jumping from his cracked skull flipping midair-

He didn't stand on landing- but drew himself lower, cocking his spear back and letting up a massive burst of speed- his grieves skiing over the stone road like ice as dust blew up around him- the silver knight barely dodging aside as the golden bullet shot past him- thrusting his foot out abruptly to skid to the demon pursuing the knights,

The demon threw his axe down on the knight- balancing gingerly on one foot, hitting empty air as the golden knight shot from the ground on a ball of force- angling his spear down on the third eye of the demon as the beast looked up-

The knight of Gwyn adjusted his balance flawlessly, launching forward with the flash of lightning all around- driving the rugged grey blade into the demon's face and giving it a firm twist- his fingers tingling as lightning danced inside his skull and vaporized the skin, the dragonslayer feeling himself fall as the demon lurched back, gravity slowly dragging it down as the dragonslayer kicked off, flipping upright and landing calmly on his feet in time to see the brutish creature hit the ground with a moan.

The dragonslayer looked down to his spear tip, now dripping with blackened blood, Ornstein curling his lip within his lion helm, its red plume blowing in the breeze.

"Captain Ornstein!" one shouted, the golden knight keeping his eyes level ahead of him,

"I told you to have this area cleared. There's another division due here soon."

"We ran into demon's." he exclaimed breathlessly, "the hollows aren't giving us much trouble, but there's demon's everywhere." Ornstein gathered his thoughts, measuring his tone, though he was irritated his subordinates couldn't complete even the simplest tasks-

"I'm aware. This land is full of them, however, Lord Gwyn has commanded us to dispatch the filthy things- every last one," he turned about, facing down the silver knights and raising his voice high over them, "We are Gwyn's faithful knights: for him we live, for him we die. Every last one of you will press on- no excuses. We fought the immortal dragons and won- we killed that which could not die, not even the forces of Velka and the occult could shake the might of Anor Londo! A few miserable demons of a foreign land are nothing before us!" he shouted, driving his spear before him, towards the rows of blue eyed knights pouring down the way "All of you now, _advance!_"

The thunderous roar of Gwyn's faithful knights washed over the dragonslayer's back as he dove forward on the foreign hollows- carrying with him the full wrath of the lord of sunlight…

* * *

The silver demon stood watch as yet another group of knights ran in, hesitating when they saw the imposing swordsmen standing watch. Metas- that was what they called him in a time so long ago he hardly remembered it anymore- looked down on the knights, the warriors seeing their mutilated comrades- cut to pieces with deep indentations where the penetrator ran them through with his royal blade: a sword longer than even his body- almost fifteen feet with an ornamented hilt and a swath of enchantment from the False King.

He wore armor tarnished black, silver laurels elegantly sweeping from his plated grieves to his rounded helm, a single long horn hung with a golden ribbon sitting high above his scowling brow.

The penetrator gave his blade a swing, filling the hall with the sound of its resonating energy, tracing blue through the air of the passage as the silver knights took a step back, before they changed their minds and ran forward towards the silver demon.

"For the light!" one cried, the silver demon lunging forward and cocking his arm back. The silver knight raised his flowing shield, the penetrator feeling mana surround his sword as he gave a strong thrust forward-

The silver knight's shield screeched as the silver demon's blade sunk in- driving through into his chest into the heart. The second one tried to close the distance, the penetrator grabbing his blade by both hands and sweeping to the side, hitting the silver knight with his ally and staggering him a little.

The penetrator withdrew a step, drawing his sword out and bringing his arm around, leaning his great weight into moving the long blade forward into a strong sweep- the arcane blade tearing through their armor and leaving them dead on the ground.

The silver demon continued to hack and slash at them, his blade passing through row after row, but no matter how hard they tired, they couldn't close in to hit before he cut them down with his blade, a spearmen getting his shield knocked aside before the penetrator pulled back and ended him with a swift stab through the head. This group was done for- Metas returning to his post-

There was a sound of footsteps- these ones a lot heavier than the silver knights- Metas feeling the strength of a great soul closing on him as he looked over his shoulder and slowed to a stop. A golden knight calmly climbed the steps to the silver demon's hall- his shadow falling over the swath of light through the gaping door.

He carried a holy spear- dripping with the blood of demons- yet there was barely a scratch on his brassy golden mail, his helm carrying the vestige of a lion as he faced the silver demon, his foot splashing in the red blood of a fallen knight- dirtying his grieve.

The golden knight stopped long enough to glance down- Metas increasingly confused at how he could find time to dawdle amidst the battle-

He gripped his sword tightly, keeping his eyes on the golden knight and waiting for him to charge-

This one was not like the others- there was a distinct feeling of- control, around him as he stepped over the body, finding an open place to stand and face the penetrator.

"You." He growled, forced calm cracking through his voice, "Identify yourself, demon." The silver demon looked on him- unspeaking since he had little left beyond his killer instinct.

A chill shot up Metas' spine, the False king creeping into his mind- relaying his knowledge. The Penetrator swung his blade- the golden knight unflinching. This lion spearmen was one of the invaders- more than that- a front line commander, who'd murdered many demons with minimal support.

The penetrator's task was clear.

* * *

Ornstein started forward- the dull creature looking on him with his great silver blade brought to the ready- the dragonslayer holding a steady pace as he marched past his fallen soldiers. But, he wouldn't break into a run, not yet, the dragon slayer putting his spear to the side- the shaft resting against his back with the blade pointed to the side of his ankle.

Not yet.

The silver demon ran forward- bringing his blade back over his shoulder and swathing it with magic.

Not yet.

The silver demon lunged- Ornstein's spear leaping from his side- the guard catching his sword and pushing it safely over his shoulder, the dragonslayer grabbing his shaft and sweeping it around- smashing the demon over the side of the head as he leaned- the force bottled in his body projecting him to the side as he brought his spear back and thrust forward-

The silver demon caught the spear by its own guard, bracing his sword to the side and planting a foot in the ground as the dragonslayer pressed forward- dust blowing over his feet as the hum of his shunpo pressed in on the silver demon-

The dragonslayer jumped back, clearing the room, before tucking himself down and lunging forward with all his might- he penetrator bringing his sword back and lunging himself, the dragonslayer shifting to the side and dodging the extended blade- thrusting his spear forward- the demon jumping out of reach-

The dragonslayer placed his might into his front leg, shooting off the ground and lunging forward midair, sweeping his spear down on the silver demon-

Who again blocked extremely well, the dragon slayer bouncing off and flipping onto his feet, the penetrator sweeping his long sword to the side, Ornstein intercepting it with his spear, shifting his hands to distribute the shock as the penetrator swept around another great sweep of his sword, the dragonslayer shifting his spear to catch the Metas' blade-

The guard cracked- the dragonslayer's grey eyes widening as the blade broke through the golden arm of the cross- the dragonslayer flew back and hunkered to the ground, the enchanted blade racking across his chest and tearing through his golden armor-

Ornstein felt pain- something he hadn't felt in ages- springing from his feet from the silver demon as blood welled from his chest. Metas shifted his blade, Ornstein feeling the bite of soul energy as he glanced to the guard of his spear- half broken-

The silver demon ran forward, the dragonslayer trying to reason himself out of his pain as he swathed his spear in lightning, sunlight pouring from it to try and counter the destructive magic of the penetrator.

Ornstein twisted his spear, placing the remaining guard to the top and waiting for the demon to lunge in and slash- the dragonslayer jumping as he swung forward- angling his wrist and thrusting upwards-

The dragonslayer was caught midair- coughing blood as the sword rammed through his chest and pinned him to the stone column- his thoughts scattered by the pain as the silver demon wrenched him to the side, twisting the blade in the wound and ripping an even bigger hole in Ornstein's armor as he was thrown to the ground, trying to recover as Metas brought his blade forward on Ornstein's head, the dragonslayer catching it with his spear and bringing it over him, twisting and tangling his weapon in the penetrators as they thrashed around, Ornstein finally pushing himself to his feet and jumped back.

Blood continued to pour from his chest- the puncture mere inches from his erratically beating heart, Ornstein laboring to breathe as the penetrator ran towards him, swinging-

The dragonslayer caught his blade, pushing it to the ground and flipping over behind him, his arms bracing the shaft of his spear as he swung his body into a heavy slash, a crescent of blood erupting from the back of the demon's ankles as Ornstein leapt away from the incoming sweep of the penetrator's blade- gauging the distance so it landed short as he thrust forward-

His spear- arching with lightning- sent an blinding flash of electricity into Metas' eyes, the penetrator swinging again-

his feet twisting to the sides as he shifted his weight, the tendons severed- the silver demon falling to the ground. Metas caught himself on his knees as he clutched his face, blinking the white dots from his eyes as lightning sparked in his helmet- a golden figure emerging from the fog-

The lion knight rammed his spear into the penetator's helm- lightning arcing from Metas' silver armor as Ornstein poured his power through the greyed tip, the demon convulsing-

Ornstein finally drew out, bracing his shaft and sweeping across- the silver demon's head cleaving off and hitting the floor, to ensure he never stood again.

Captain Ornstein rested the butt of his spear on the ground- pitying the fact such a worthy adversary as this had to die, but- that was his duty, and he would rest easy that night as his silver soldiers came in after him- against orders, of course- chattering as they saw the dragonslayer's shredded gold armor and wounds.

The golden knight stood tall for them- though it hurt a bit- turning from the silver demon and resting his spear over his shoulder...

* * *

Ornstein wins by thunderbolt!

This was a pretty close- evident by the fact it took three days to make up my mind and actually call a winner (gotta love school). Anyhow, they were pretty even matched in most respects, Metas' very long blade proving hard to get past- giving him a pronounced advantage.

However, Ornstein's superior speed and tactics, as well as his enormous self discipline under harsh circumstances- allowed him to exploit the demon's weak points, crippling him and pulling out a victory with a decisive strike to the head. His ability to project lightning form the tip of his spear also gave him a major edge- an attack the penetrator couldn't block with his sword

Thus, Ornstein proves himself worthy of the title dragonslayer, and will live to fight another day :3

Hope you enjoyed: read, review, comment, or complain, though I prefer the first three :3


	5. Artorias vs Velstadt

A/N: Sorry for not having updated in _forever_, I've been majorly procrastinating my writing lately, especially since I've been really busy and just got out of some issues with my family- all while catering to Scrolls vs Souls, which is rapidly becoming the biggest, baddest, most in-demand fic I've published so far.

This was started about a month ago, but disappeared into the rift and was never touched again, but now that I'm dragging myself along I bring you another thrilling episode of deadliest soul: Artorias, the Abysswalker vs Velstadt, the royal Aegis.

No need to fear fan favoriting in this one: they are two of the best bosses in Souls in my mind- maybe not the number one favorites- but they both hold a special place in my heart and I've been itching to write their fight for awhile, and now that I've got the time and creative energy to do it, let's get started:

* * *

Artorias, the Abysswalker vs Velstadt, the Royal Aegis, the one who surmounted the abyss vs the guardian of the undead crypt, where Vendrick slumbers in his hollowing, the dark knight of the age of light vs the guardian of the crypt, two knights, the right hands of their kings, both doomed to be devoured by the dark and slain by a lone undead, two fighters of incredible might and unbendable will, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

**Strength:**

-Artorias: wields a greatsword longer than most human men as though it were light as a feather… with one hand.

-Velstadt: carries a gigantic hammer fashioned from a sacred church bell. Enormous even for a weapon of the giants, can be wielded one or two handed.

-Advantage: Even

**Speed:**

-Artorias: though his speed isn't as great as Ornstein's, he's capable of propelling himself at high speeds using the force of his soul energy

-Velstadt: able to move at a light run, but his massive armor and weapon compromise his ability to move

-Advantage: Artorias

**Agility:**

-Artorias: extremely mobile for a giant his size- able to jump extremely long distances and chain attacks and movement with little trouble

-Velstadt: his greathammer is fairly unwieldy, yet he's still able to reasonably chain attacks and uses very wide sweeping strikes and long reach to compensate

-Advantage: Artorias

**Build:**

-Artorias: tall and streamlined to maximize motion and overwhelm opponents with great speed and attack power.

-Velstadt: Massive and imposing, the royal aegis crushes all who oppose his lord

-Advantage: Even

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Artorias: the abysswalker has an unbendable will of steel and incredible aggression- shaking off any level of damage- not even a broken arm, corruption by the abyss, and his own refusal to fight could stop him in battle.

-Velstadt: Stands by his king for all eternity, many centuries already long past: even with only a hollow shell left of Vendrick, the royal aegis still stands guard- refusing to despair or give into the abyss steadily corrupting him, demonstrating his incredible physical and mental fortitude.

-Advantage: Velstadt

**Armor:**

-Artorias: wears a lightweight but durable suit of metal platemail, maximizing his flexibility and speed while offering suitable protection. His true defense lies behind his onyx purifying greatshield: which resists all forms of corruptive damage- even the ravages of the abyss- and is all but immune to physical damage.

-Velstadt: Clad in sacred golden armor that can resist an extreme level of damage

-Advantage: Artorias

**Weapons:**

-Artorias: his weapon of choice is the divine knightsword: which carries both a powerful blessing to cleanse the darkness as well as supernatural levels of strength and sharpness.

-Velstadt: carries a bell converted into a sacred greathammer, which can both hit incredibly hard as well as channel corrupted miracles.

-Advantage: Even

**Magic:**

-Artorias: does not use any magic beyond the enchantment on his sword

-Velstadt: a former warrior of sunlight, the royal aegis wields miracles touched by the abyss rather than his raw intelligence

-Advantage: neither

**Miracles:**

-Artorias: though he serves Gwyn, he prefers his own power over the blessings of sunlight

-Velstadt: Uses two kinds of miracles- one to strike from a distance with bolts, the other to greatly strengthen his attack power to crush his adversaries- his bell hammer acting like a colossal chime: each time it rings, his power grows.

-advantage: Velstadt

**Pyromancy:**

-Artorias: does not use pyromancy

-Velstadt: lacks to power of flame

-Advantage: neither

**Darkness:**

-Artorias: very sensitive to the dark- surrendering his purifying greatshield to Sif long enough to fight Manus completely destroyed his sanity and rendered his body twisted and corrupt.

-Velstadt: has spent many years- perhaps even centuries- in the dark, and while his miracles appear to have been tainted, the royal aegis has held up to the exposure very well: continuing to pray to the gods and even draw on the darkness to power his miracles.

Advantage: Velstadt

**Special:**

-Artorias: while involuntary- heavy exposure to the abyss will drive the humanity in Artorias berserk: which results in a tremendous increase of attack power, however, the strain lowers his tolerance to damage greatly.

-Velstadt: has no particular special attribute, but can access a variety of powerful attacks and strengths through his dark miracles or hexes.

-Advantage: Even

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Artorias: vulnerable to darkness, and must keep his greatshield in order to prevent corruption.

-Velstadt: His strength is based purely on his ability to attack- lacking a shield to defend himself with if one were to close the distance.

-Advantage: Artorias

**Overall combat skills**:

-Artorias: one of Gwyn's elite four knights, who's fought many wars for the gods in the past, and is considered by many to be equal in power to Dragonslayer Ornstein, the greatest knight in Lordran. His one and only weakness was his gentle heart: which lead him to rage and corruption, the knight dropping his shield to protect Sif while leaving him vulnerable to the abyss.

-Velstadt: Vendrick's most faithful and powerful servant- who was chosen to stand at his side in his hollowing and watch over him as he attempted to develop a remedy for his ailment in the undead crypt. Though Vendrick is hollowed beyond recognition, the royal aegis holds his post unwaveringly.

-Advantage: Velstadt

**Totals:**

-Artorias: 8

-Velstadt: 8

* * *

**-The Duel-**

A golden warrior surged forward- his sword arching with lightning as he swung at the strange- massive warrior. His shrouded hood turned- the azure warrior leaping from the ground as the guard hit empty air- looking up in time to see the strange invader crash down on his head- his dark blade slicing through the guard's tower shield with a metallic ring. A few more came in around the invader- the azure knight leaning his foot to the side and sending a jolt of force from the heel-

The guards couldn't even block in time as the azure knight spun about with his blade arcing to the side- the warriors around him cleaving in half as he jumped away again- another spearmen running in to close the distance- hitting the azure knight's dark shield and watching as the lightning boiled around the shield- but didn't even scorch the surface as the wall of onyx shifted aside-

He tried to move, but was too slow as the knight's divine sword lunged forward- running the man through with little trouble. He was lifted from the ground, the hollow snarling and choking on his blood as the knight's shadowed face met his- a strong flick of the wrist sending the warrior to the side-

Artorias glanced first one way- then the other- his blood roaring as he watched out for more enemies, though it seemed as though things had gone quiet, for now. He flicked the darkened, hollow blood from his blade, trying not to count all the guards he'd run across, though the lone knight was certain he'd run down far too many.

They were little threat to him, very few could challenge his might in Lordran- and in this foreign land called Drangleic, he was hardly at much risk, although he still distasted having to go this far into the dark.

Sif- Ciaren- Gough- Gwyn- Ornstein- everyone of his comrades was up above, waiting for him to come back with the king, who was said to have peered into the soul and may have the answer to this hollowing epidemic. They would've come along- if it weren't for the dark gnawing at Artorias- kept at bay with the help of his purifying greatshield.

Without this one unique artifact anyone else, even the great lord Gwyn, would be very uncomfortable in these depths.

Being alone was nothing unusual for the azure knight- in fact- he actually preferred the peace and quiet- it kept his head clear, which was always good since controlling himself was a pretty great feat without having to worry about the other's.

The knight continued through the darkened hall- listening out for any bells- which seemed to disturb the dead and raise countless ghosts with their spells and pyromancy, the eerie torchlight making the ancient crypt even more foreboding.

Artorias came up a set of steps- into a large hall divided up with pillars. At the far end- was a great warrior in slightly faded golden armor, aglow in the single ray of light he crouched within, his head bent down in prayer.

The abysswalker tensed- gauging his size- slightly taller than he was, with a heavyset, robust torso that would rival that of the giant sentinels of Anor Londo- far bigger than the other guards he's encountered. His large hands grasped the shaft of a great, hanging bell within a protective frame, though Artorias wasn't sure what it could be used for.

The azure knight slowly started forward, waiting for the deranged man to spring to his feet and attack, putting his guar up as the golden knight's armor rumbled. Velstadt looked over to one side, dismissively turning his head back forward.

"What is it- knight from another land?" he murmured- his voice deep and strong, but quiet and calm.

Artorias stopped- nothing- _nothing_ that'd been exposed to the dark this long could reason, let alone speak to him. Even with the purifying greatshield, Artorias felt the cold of the abyss eking in on him. The royal aegis noted his hesitation, quietly continuing to pray. Artorias decided it was safe to continue after recovering from the momentary shock:

"I've come for King Vendrick," the abysswalker stated simply, clawing for the proper words, "Stand aside, and no harm will come to you. We only want his knowledge." Velstadt paused momentarily-

"Be gone: the king is not well, no-one will see him this, or any other day." Artorias sensed a fight- his grip tightening on his blade. Deep in his heart, he did not want to battle this guardian- but he felt like he had no other option, tension building within him.

"I cannot turn back. Lord Gwyn commands his audience, I am warning you, stand aside. Please." Again, the royal aegis reserved himself- but- his duty was clear- to ensure Vendrick's body was unharmed, that he rested in peace…

"Then you will die." The paladin recited calmly, betraying his heavy heart. The abysswalker began forward, undaunted as the warrior of sunlight stood to his full height- casting a long shadow over the corridor as he flipped his chime hammer from its standing position to his side, throwing it over his shoulder.

They both braced themselves, the adrenaline roaring through the azure knight's body as he sprung forward, hoping to end it quickly though he found it hard to employ his full strength.

But, Velstadt had no such reservation, his tremendous, machine-like body thundering forward- his hammer already prepared to strike as the azure knight leapt forward-

The placement of Velstadt's hands on his hammer changed so fast the azure knight barely registered- the bell hammer launching like a javelin and striking Artorias dead in the center of his chest-

Artorias felt a rib break as he was sent flying backwards across the room, the knight of Gwyn bouncing over the floor, the side of his shield digging in to land him back on his feet-

Before the azure knight could even draw a breath, the golden royal aegis came upon him again, the head of his great hammer over his shoulder-

Artorias dodged to the side, the bell ringing as Velstadt heaved it with his full bodyweight, cratering the ground, the wind from the strike brushing the Azure knight's face-

The gold knight shifted again, his hammer getting pulled from the ground and coming back around, Gwyn's faithful leaping from the ground with as much force as he could muster, the sacred bell passing beneath him as he backflipped across the room, landing at a crouch as the golden warrior looked over towards him- analyzing him-

The Azure knight panted, his chest still aching, the unmistakable feel of dark energy leaching into him. He knew Vendrick, as king of the fallen Drangleic, had many knights at his disposal- but he never imagined such an ungodly force as this would be lying in the depths- the title "Aegis" truly fit this beast of war

The azure knight steeled himself- his unbendable will superseding all else, strengthening his blade and numbing his body. He could not afford to be reserved, even if he didn't believe in what he was doing-

The golden knight adjusted his stance as Artorias came forward with speed comparable to the great Ornstein- his feet blowing the dust aside as he extended his blade and hunkered down low, targeting the Aegis' leg opposite his weapon arm-

Velstadt saw the course- bringing down another tremendous strike, Artorias suddenly planting a foot and turning instantly- the great bell broadsiding his purifying shield as the azure knight rolled into the blow-

Artorias faintly felt his shoulder aching at having to shrug such an enormous hit- his ear ringing at the impact, but he nonetheless stepped through and lunged, Velstadt leaping on instinct as the azure knight's sword rend across his hip- the golden mail screeching as it tore-

The golden knight brought his deflected hammer around, rotating at the heel and falling down at the knight- whose foot was sent flying around him to correct his stance, his onyx greatshield intercepting the blow and shrugging it away again-

Velstadt stepped in, his chime hammer wailing as it crushed the spot the azure knight was- Artorias timing immaculate as he hit the ground and leapt forward again, dropping his shield back and spiraling into a slash over the Aegis' chest-

Velstadt grunted, leaping away- Artorias hitting the ground and diving in again, bringing his shield up as the hammer again launched like a spear to force Artorias back- the Aegis shifting tactics as he combined a broad swing with a leap to the side, landing and swinging again, the azure knight rotating with supernatural speed and knocking it aside with the force of his momentum, stopping it and lunging on the exposed Aegis-

Artorias' grey eyes flew open as Velstadt _caught_ his sword with his free hand- digging in as he rolled his shoulder- the azure knight's own momentum flipping him overhead and smashing him into the ground-

The Azure knight brought his shield up- feeling one punishing blow after the next assault him, though they were far weaker than before-

That hand-

After a lost amount of hits, the Royal Aegis leapt away- Artorias leaning upright, the two knights facing eachother across the way-

The golden knight stood eerily resolute as his blood flowed to the ground from his hip and the deep gash across his chest. His left hand was able to grasp the mystic blade- but the golden mail was stripped from it, the fingers and palm nearly sliced to the bone in the desperate action-

Artorias didn't have any noticeable wounds, but he felt his fatigue setting in, his shield arm growing numb as his body protested having to soak such incredible force from the royal aegis, the azure knight's lungs burning.

If this became a war of attrition- he had to end this quickly-

"You are truly the strongest of swordsmen-" Artorias stiffened at Velstadt's deep, dark voice, traces of rage beginning to settle in as he continued to bleed, his shredded hand trembling, He raised the bell over his head, gritting his teeth as he wrapped his injured hand around the shaft and swung the artifact like a waving flag, filling the corridor with its haunting ring.

A dark, cold sensation begun to race down Artorias' spine as the resonations grew louder-

"What are you doing!?" Artorias snapped, feeling the dark swelling as he rose from the ground and started forward-

The royal aegis plunged the shaft into the ground, violet runes surrounding him- before a great wave of darkness overcame the azure knight-

Even with his shield raised, Artorias felt the dark closing in on him, pressing down like a vice as he was forced backwards- the cloud of violet passing around him like a river of fog being parting around his shield. The cold soaked into Artorias veins- like his essence was icing over-

The fog passed, Artorias lowering his shield as it begun to recede into the golden knight standing before him. His miracles no longer healed- but the golden knight's hand no longer bled or hurt- Velstadt breathing in deep meditation to control his spirit even as the abyss resonated from his body in a shifting violet aura, his eyes glowing faintly. The knight of Gwyn was too stunned to attack, speaking as he tried to keep his shield more or less between him and the abyss-

"Calling on the darkness- the bane of gods- when you yourself are a giant? Do you want to lose yourself?" Velstadt blinked, feeling his power continuing to swell as his soul pulsed and writhed-

"Perhaps-" he murmured, this voice tranquil as ever even as he warred with himself to hold control, though the passing of ages had hardened him to its influence "but- my soul has grown dark and cold. The abyss is within me, as I am within it."

"Are you saying you have- subjugated the abyss?" even though his will to keep fighting was immense, Artorias was still spooked by such a premise-

Such a thing was not possible- even the highest scholars of Vinheim declared as much. What _was _he?

"I told you before-" Velstadt growled, the darkness swelling around him as he started forward. The knight of Gwyn steeled himself as the royal aegis surged forward, his feet cracking the stones as he lunged-

Artorias jumped back over the ground- flipping to his feet and readying his guard as Velstadt continued to surge forward- the azure knight waiting for his hit. The golden knight slid in- clumsily swinging his hammer, Artorias dodging aside and bringing his sword-

His vision flipped as the golden knight's hand, still wet with blood- pulled him from his feet as swift as one would pluck a rose- the bones cracking in the injured joints as Velstadt clamped down on Artorias' throat and flipped the azure knight around, driving him into the ground so hard the azure knight's vision blinked, returning in a bleeding collage as he was thrust around and thrown, the knight bouncing on the stone and coughing, trying hard not to drop his arms as he looked through blurry eyes-

Velstadt was on his knees again, his bell once again ringing in the gloom with great vigor, Artorias fearing he could press his already strained body even further as the violet runes appeared across the floor-

It was then Artorias realized why it looked vaguely familiar- the knight scrambling to get up-

"_Damn_-" The royal aegis locked on him-

"_Moonlight Spear_-" a black lance appeared at the center of his staff- the azure knight leaping aside as the corrupted miracle sailed by him- his skin breaking out in frostbite as it passed-

"_Dark Pursuer_-" Velstadt growled as Artorias landed- the spear of dark halving a pillar and tunneling through the earth. A massive bundle of humanity gathered into him- exploding into clusters as he perversely crossed fate and intellect-

The beads blew out in a great plume, sensing Artorias' energy and swooping in on him- the azure knight getting to his feet and leaping away- flipping through the air as the pursuing masses crashed around him, shattering the stone with unholy force around him- the knight stopping the last pursuer with his purifying shield- though it hit like a battering ram as he stepped away-

Velstadt blew up in his vision- his aura flowing over Artorias as he overtook him, the azure knight adjusting his shield-

Velstadt's abyssal power tore through Artorias' defense effortlessly, the azure knight feeling his shield ram his side and send him tumbling through the air, smashing a pillar and coughing blood as he felt numbly to his feet-

The ringing of a bell warned Artorias to leap as Velstadt focused part of his spiritual energy into the tip of his great hammer- the mass reacting with the starved humanity of the crypt and resonating with a tremendous thrum-

"_Great Resonant Soul_" Artorias narrowly dodged the mass- the unholy thing tearing into the wall and shaking the crypt as the spiritual power evaporated the stone around it- literally eroding the matter away as it combusted- the wake washing over Artorias' back as Velstadt watched him- gathering the dark as his singular focus on his helpless lord just beyond ebbed at the insane rage the abyss was stoking deep in his knotted stomach, cold sweat glistening all over him.

The golden knight suppressed his panting, his entire body trembling harshly as he watched the exhausted azure knight with such intensity his vison darkened off and on. With nothing to do but think for all these years- he'd gained the near inhuman concentration needed to evoke and control the dark-

But- it still took a heavy toll- it required all his physical and mental fortitude to hold his body- now bleeding from the deep wounds- to keep from falling apart. But- that was a risk he needed to take as he gathered his strength again.

Artorias was hardly doing better in this silent parlay as they gathered up for another assault- he was unmatched with the great weapon- but the power of the abyss- especially in the hands of an experienced warrior paladin, was overwhelming to say the least.

If it weren't for the purifying greatshield, he would've been vaporized and crushed long ago- but the impervious black metal still took a great deal of strength and stamina behind it- there was no denying it- Artorias was getting horrendously bruised and battered-

But worse-

Artorias heaved up a glistening, jet black substance, the knight of Gwyn shrieking and choking through the flows of liquid as he clutched his chest hard, much to the Golden knight's confusion-

It was too much- even with the shield the darkness from Velstadt's aura and the massive bursts of abyssal spells allowed to pass close to him- Artorias could feel his body tearing itself apart as his soul went wild inside him. The knight of Gwyn grit his teeth- trying his hardest to resist as the corruption spread within him-

"Must- stop- _this_-" Artorias growled, tears of sheer agony beginning to seep from the edges of his squinted eyes as the corruption spread exponentially, feasting on his soul energy, weakening him, thereby allowing it to feast faster and grow- all his strong emotions getting incensed to the point to madness- "I told- _you_, it will tear us- _both- up_." The knight's limits were pressed to the highest-

Velstadt stepped forward, straitening as the abyss begun to calm in him-

"Leave this place- now-" Artorias writhed, smashing his head against the wall and throwing his shield aside, his hands going to his head as a dark blue aura erupted from him- his wrath evoked by the darkness exploding from his body as he was torn up by the abyss-

As he hurt- he grew enraged, and as he angered- his strength mounted and the abyss grew, the azure knight leaping up as his tired body filled with power- his sensitive soul going berserk within him. Still- the knight of Gwyn could not bear the thought of returning a failure- of crawling back- horribly injured and corrupt- the shame fueling him-

"You cannot bear the dark- leave- or I will deal with you as a hollow." Velstadt murmured, already bringing his hammer around-

Artorias arched his back, the force of the abyss erupting from him as his dark blue aura exploded- the azure knight letting up a bestial scream at the golden knight as his unbendable will turned to an all-consuming desire to destroy the golden paladin before him – the azure knight throwing his shield aside to draw his blade up in both hands-

Artorias threw himself at the golden paladin- Velstadt throwing his hammer out-

The golden knight gasped as his great chime hammer was knocked aside- Artorias parrying the bell and leaping in- slashing down-

Velstadt's panic spiked at how close he was nearly sliced in two as he jumped back, the dark knight driving forward with his incredible speed and thrusting- the divine sword tearing into his chest, the royal aegis' free hand batting Artorias over the head hard enough to rattle him- reaching behind his neck and pulling him down-

The royal aegis kneed the dark knight in the face as hard as he could muster- Artorias going a little limp- inviting the Aegis to pull him upright and drive the face of his armored helm into the dark knight's forehead.

The cursed knight sprung back away, drawing his sword back from Velstadt's shoulder, the golden knight lurching as a small grunt of pain escaped his lips, Artorias leaping into the air with a spinning slice-

The chime hammer once again drove into the knight's stomach- launching him into a pillar, but the already firm Artorias, now powered by the abyss, tucked his legs on landing and sprung forward from the pillar instantly-

Velstadt swung his beastly hammer hard enough to knock Artorias from the air- the bones in his shoulder blowing apart like porcelain as the abyss eroded him from within- the dark knight tumbling on the ground- to his feet and thrusting in, the golden knight still turning-

Velstadt's blood poured to the ground, his hand going to the sword deeply plunged into his sternum-

He couldn't even conceive how one could outright _ignore_ a hit like that- the aegis coughing more blood as the dark knight, with his one functional arm, drove his sword even further in- Artorias letting up a choked growl as he shook and pressed his way into the golden knight as he tried to retreat away-

Velstadt let up one last heave, hooking Artorias by the side of the head and shifting aside, exclaiming as the dark knight fell past him to the ground, dragging his sword along with him-

The corrupted knight of Gwyn hit the ground on his shattered shoulder, his unbendable will driving him upright-

The bell tolled as Velstadt crushed the abysswalker's head like a grape, more dropping than plunging it- but it was more than enough as darkened blood pooled around the head of his greathammer, the dark blue aura fading.

The shaft fell from Velstadt's limp hand, the metal banging the stone as he walked in a trance past the body of the dark knight- his feet sending ripples through the blood pooling his feet as his grieves scraped the ground-

He no longer hurt- nearly forgetting the great wounds over his body as the dark violet aura around him subsided- fading away from him as Velstadt's soul weakened-

"Vendrick- my King-" the golden knight murmured, a dry cough hurting his tired lungs- "I'm- sorry… I was not- strong enough-" the strength in his legs gave- Velstadt's armored form falling to the ground- blackened eyes facing the yawning door at the end of the corridor…

* * *

Draw, mutual loss- they were both too stubborn to give up and too powerful to not take eachother down.

Well, this is the first one of these I've done in awhile, and what a one it was, hope you enjoyed- now I must sleep because it is 3am. Damn you compulsive writing habit! X3


	6. Smelter Demon vs Flamelurker

A/N: It seems I'm able to work on everything except what is really being asked of me, so that's a thing, but in any case, it's time for one of the most requested fights across the interweb in not only mine but other fics as well: Smelter Demon vs Flamelurker, two of the nastiest, most OP fire based demons ever to bless the souls universe.

The introduction on this one is pretty long, but only because I think Flamelurker is an awesome enemy and well worth the extra time to write a grand entrance, especially since many haven't played demon souls and know not the awe-inspiring yet simultaneously terrifying powerhouse that is Flamelurker (the fight against the undead is not a fucking exaggeration, especially in NG+)

Directed by Michael Bay X3

Also, I'm trying to head further away from a "one shot smash bros battle" and more towards an interesting and story driven novelization, so it reads less like a single battle and more like a good story featuring a battle. That being said, I may stray too far and go from story to filler, I count this fiction a phenomenal success but it is still in the experimental phases, so let any reviews be honest as it will affect how I write these in the future.

* * *

Smelter Demon vs Flamelurker, the demon that rose from the depths to strike down a corrupted king versus a great beast sealed within an ancient temple in the grave of dragons, the great suit of burning iron given a soul vs the great elemental sealed from the world for fear of its might, two demons of flame, two with great destructive power that only escalates as they grow enraged, who- is- deadliest? To find out, our highly skilled team of this author will scrutinize their attributes with (partially) completely unbiased reviews and the latest in scientific speculation. Then, running the data through this author's educated opinion, we'll see the results!

**Strength:**

-Smelter Demon: The Smelter Demon possesses great strength and power, being a great suit of charred Iron armor that easily wields an enormous slab of smoldering rock for a sword.

-Flamelurker: A demon of incredible might, who tears stone apart barehanded and crushes hapless undead in seconds.

-Advantage: Even

**Speed:**

-Smelter Demon: A simple suit of armor possessed by a strong flame, the smelter demon is inorganic but very powerful, able to move as swiftly as an organic knight.

-Flamelurker: a great, bestial elemental, Flamelurker is able to overtake foes in seconds by sprinting on all fours and jumping long distances to punish his adversaries.

-Advantage: Even

**Agility:**

-Smelter Demon: a beast with no backbone or midsection, the smelter demon can turn inhumanly wide angles to bat at opponents, his legs able to launch him into the air for a plunging attack, lunge, or thrust.

-Flamelurker: like a great ape, the Flamelurker is very dexterous and mobile, showing few signs of ever wearing down and proving overwhelming even to opponents far smaller than he.

-Advantage: Even

**Build:**

-Smelter Demon: Stout and solidly crafted, the smelter demon has a near unbreakable stance and excellent poise.

-Flamelurker: a massive beast with a sloppy but powerful stance, moves with a pronounced hunch when he runs and moves to put all his weight into his shoulders for striking.

-Advantage: Even

**Intelligence/Strategic Ability:**

-Smelter Demon: possesses a functional if rudimentary mind from his soul, able to sloppily carry and wield a blade, exercising basic evasive skill.

-Flamelurker: A wild beast with no superficial intelligence, sprinting mindlessly at anything that draws near him and smashing it with raw power.

-Advantage: Smelter Demon

**Armor:**

-Smelter Demon: crafted entirely of robust iron armor and machinery, the smelter demon is near unbreakable and can absorb huge levels of shock.

-Flamelurker: an elemental of stone and condensed minerals, the Flamelurker has incredibly hard flesh able to withstand the force of his own explosions.

-Advantage: Even

**Weapons:**

-Smelter Demon: carries a massive sword made of hardened volcanic rock. Being a stone sword, it doesn't so much cut as crush and grind enemies into dust. Superheating the blade causes the volcanic rock to smolder and burn hotter than the deepest forge, unleashing massive blasts of flame when struck on a hard surface to split it open.

-Flamelurker: uses only his hardened onyx claws and fists, however- the minerals within his elemental flesh include a plethora of dangerous and volatile alkaline metals, which explode violently when superheated and hit with enough force.

-Advantage: Flamelurker

**Magic:**

-Smelter Demon: magic and lightning short circuit the smelter's armor, thus he must avoid them.

-Flamelurker: magic cracks flamelurker's dense stone flesh, and lacks the intelligence to use said arts even if he could.

-Advantage: neither

**Miracles:**

-Smelter Demon: a powerful demon born of a soul that lurks below- no divine connections.

-Flamelurker: powerful demons like Flamelurker are the enemies of the gods and their servants, and receive no blessings.

-Advantage: neither

**Pyromancy:**

-Smelter Demon: infused with an incredible flame that swells around him into a defensive aura or bathes his sword to strengthen it.

-Flamelurker: a primeval beast that embodies rage and destruction, his elemental body burning as his pain and ire intensify, his explosive strikes landing harder and harder as his vitality is depleted.

-Advantage: Flamelurker

**Darkness:**

-Smelter Demon: his soul was born of the abyss below the Iron King's castle, but he shows an affinity for flame, not darkness.

-Flamelurker: a primordial being who was likely alive long before the abyss exited.

-Advantage: neither

**Special:**

-Smelter Demon: no special powers beyond his natural combat skills and a strong spirit born of a flame.

-Flamelurker: little to no grasp on any special powers or abilities, merely relies on his natural constitution.

-Advantage: neither

**Vulnerabilities:**

-Smelter Demon: being made of metal, he is short circuited by lightning and pierced by magic.

-Flamelurker: near impervious to physical attacks and all but immune to fire, the flamelurker can only be injured effectively with magic.

-Advantage: neither

**Overall combat skills:**

-Smelter Demon: the very demon that struck the arrogant Old Iron King of Drangleic down centuries ago, and now prowls the Iron Keep, slicing down any undead foolish enough to enter the cursed lands.

Thus far, not one of the undead seeking the great soul of the Old Iron King have managed to defeat this titan.

-Flamelurker: A primeval being hundreds, if not thousands of years old sealed deep under the Tunnel City by the ancestors of the burrow king within an ancient fire temple in a grave of dragons.

In all that time, not one single warrior was able to vanquish the Flamelurker, not even Big M. the dragon slayer, whose corpse is found mangled just outside the elemental's resting place.

-Advantage: Even

**Totals:**

-Smelter Demon: 7

-Flamelurker: 8

**-The Duel-**

* * *

"Watch it!" one of the undead shouted, the bouncing of a falling rock echoing loudly in the darkened chamber,

"For what?" the other, a large fighter, retorted, though he still adjusted his footing. The space, marked only by the low whistling of wind, was utterly pitch black. He could've hit a dragon and they'd never know it.

The two reached the bottom, another, smaller set of feet joining them.

"I still don't know what we're doing down here." the hired rogue growled, adjusting her pyromancy flame as she peered around the black space, a bad feeling coming to her in waves.

The wizard, who landed just behind, gave a smirk, a soft hum seeping through his fingers as he bundled a mass of mana in hand and launched it into the air, the spark bursting into a dim light- illuminating the room enough for the rogue pyromancer to pinpoint some ancient braziers and torches to light- each snap of her thin fingers leading to the _whumph_ of another flame bursting from the oil.

As she lit the fires- her fingers slowed, the group, now accompanied by even more undead who'd volunteered, slowly looking about in awe as the little sphere of light spread outwards to cover a greater and greater area, the lurid shadows of the room retreating away.

They'd seen old ruins like Heide- the marble slowly eroding as the city was taken bit by bit by the ocean.

They'd even seen _very_ old ruins, like the rotting wood and mossy rock of No-Man's Warf.

But this place- this place was far and beyond _ancient_. The ceiling, which was full of holes and cracks where great slabs of stone fell from erosion, seemed to be held up by great stone pillars, now thinner than a skeleton's finger with age, carvings the likes of which they'd never seen nearly erased under the chalky flow of lime from the dripping ceiling.

At the far end seemed to be a monumental building- it's primitive but beautifully carved stone broken away and falling down, yet still in remarkable condition. Even from here, the pyromancer, who'd nearly finished lighting the room, could smell the unmistakable tinge of soot from the front of the temple- which seemed to yawn open- staring down on the strange intruders.

But what caught everyone's eye were the bones.

Massive, gigantic bones, thicker than the columns holding the ceiling up and looming taller than buildings, one with imagination being able to spot ribs large enough to set up camp within, femurs that rivaled fallen trees, and hands embedded in the walls big enough to snatch up entire horses. They were everywhere: embedded in the walls and littered on the floor.

The bones were, aside from being enormous, radiant with spiritual power and energy, a grey, spongy marrow siting just under the chipped shell. The unmistakable mark of dragonbone.

Everyone got excited, their leader jogging forward and running his hand down one of the spongy leg bones with an enthusiastic grin.

"So it's true! The Tunnel City of legend, the graveyard of dragons! Do you know what this means?"

"It means," the fighter smirked, lifting a hunk of petrified bone- "we're going to be _very_ rich, and our weapons are going to be the strongest in Drangleic."

"Precisely," he nodded, putting his graying old manuscripts away and setting to work. The pyromancer, who was more or less the workhorse of the group, was still skeptical-

Something seemed a little off, but she couldn't place it as everyone started chipping away and exhuming the ancient grave, the pyromancer's eye wandering as she scuffed her foot through a combination of soot, volcanic sediment, and chips of dragonbone.

Dragonbone-

She looked around the room, past the obelisks of obsidian and ashy sediment, noticing several bones had large chunks blown out of them: large, black craters blown in the ground with pillars laying cockeyed with large holes broken through the base, their remains scattered in a telltale corona of smithereens-

_Explosives?_ She thought, approaching the stairs leading to the front of the temple and seeing a most peculiar sight-

All the bars at the top of the structure, set to give it the look of a great stone furnace, were broken away, each break narrower and narrower.

A circular pattern- it wasn't rotted out or blown out- but _pried_ out. She looked from the pried grate to the rest of the room, bringing her finger out and tracing the depression in the ground, the blast there, then there, a hole in the pillar, then a dragon's bone that was violently crushed-

"What are you looking at?" someone asked, breaking her concentration a little-

"There was a fight here, a really bad one."

"Yeah," he nodded, "It happened a long, long time ago: thousands of years. Apparently, the mines of the Old Iron King extended miles and miles, and one of them broke into an ancient mine called 'Stonefang'. It's been around far longer than any of us. Older than Drangleic and all the kingdoms before it. The manuscripts we found talked about this grave of dragons, and references to this fire temple, which even then was far more ancient than anyone could recall."

"I never heard of any battles down here."

"It wasn't a battle, really: but a duel, between a great demon slayer and a mighty demon that lurked in the flames of the temple here. The fires are long burnt out, but it looks like its really left its mark."

"It certainly does," the pyromancer mumbled, letting him go about his business as she continued looking around.

So there _was_ a demon here, but that was a long time ago. Nothing to worry about.

Still, something irked her as she wandered about, continuing to kick up volcanic dust-

She knew there was something here, she could _feel _a disturbance of energy, it was just a matter of time-

_Urrph_ she heard a deep growl; barely a whisper, but clear as day, her vision darting over to a worker who'd stopped pounding with his pickaxe, looking to the spot where he'd struck. There was a dragon bone wedged by some obsidian, or was it petrified magma, she couldn't tell-

He shrugged, slamming the pickaxe down hard again, prying at the dragonbone-

_Urrr_ it growled again, the worker laughing a little and slamming his pickaxe in again, _Urrrh_! It snapped, the worker laughing, and turning to his friends-

"Hey boss, you have to see this!" he chucked, the pyromancer in a trance as she watched the discolored rock formation begin to shift and slide-

No, not slide-

"Get away from there!" she shrieked, the man turning to her as a pillar of rock came around and twisted onto his chest-

Everyone froze, watching as the rock begun to split around a dark, discolored mass, before it begun to take shape, though few believed what they saw as the lump began to rise, the man pounding at the elemental's fist-

Its joints ground loudly as they expelled all the sediment that'd been grinding in all this time, various pebbles and clods of minerals falling from him and splashing on the ground, the fingers in his free hand, long, jagged things that seemed to be hewn from solid black granite- crackling as they flexed on his newly mobile arm, his massive shoulders flexing as his heavyset, ape-like frame hunched forward.

The poor man trapped in his grip continued to flail, everyone scattering away from the massive beast that rose well over twelves heads tall as he continued to shake himself off.

Its skin was jet black and slick, like cooled magma coated with tar, obsidian spines jutting along its long, brawny arms and legs-

The head, now swiveling side to side, was what struck everyone the most as their focus broke completely from the undead gurgling his blood as the demon slowly wrenched down on him, his stone hands grinding the bones to powder and bursting his organs as easily as a rock crushing a gnat:

It's head mimicked a deformed skull with long, arced horns to either side, his eyes nothing but white bulges on his smooth, marble head, the pearly white replaced by a rugged grey from his time in the dirt recovering from his fight all those centuries ago.

He had no throat on his broad stump of a neck, merely a yawning opening lined with obsidian spires like a great maw, the tendons strung from the base to his upper jaw like the grate of a furnace, embers slowly rising from the inside.

The flame elemental tensed in rage- popping the miniscule undead in his grip and spraying blood across the floor, the room shaking as he bent back and let up a great roar- the puny undead fleeing from the elemental's wrath.

The shackles of sleep broke from the Flamelurker as he felt the caldera of fire and rage burning within him once again, the punctures on his stomach little more than flea bites as fire spewed from his throat like an angry Baal. All he remembered was being hurt, then falling and feeling his life drained, then dark, only dark, the flow of souls, light and dark passing over his grave in the ebb of time-

He roared again, throwing the useless pulp aside and diving into battle, his movements rapidly picking up speed as his claws dug in and his powerful hind legs drove him forward, kicking up plume of dark sediment as he bounded to the first tiny human, Flamelurker's feet digging in as he reared up, the undead drawing his shield and preparing to lunge with his spear-

The elemental roared and threw all his weight into his shoulder as he racked his onyx claws across the shield- the soft metal shrieking as his claws tore through it- gouging the metal like foil, catching on the edge and ripping it from the Undead's grasp and pulling him off balance. The digger turning in time to get crushed under the great stone fist of the Flamelurker- his skeleton bulking instantly as the elemental put all his weight down, another running from the side as he twisted metal was pried from his hand-

The beast dug his foot in and swiveled his hips as he threw himself to the side, leading with his shoulder as he drove the force of his weight into a backhand that hit the worker square in the chest, breaking in in half and driving his head into the ground, his already dead body kicking up dirt as it tumbled away from the force of the stone limb, the beast spotting another undead a ways away, running.

Flamelurker felt his thick haunches grow taught as he hunkered down, the smoke trailing from his hollow throat getting vacuumed in as he drew a husky breath. The dirt blew up around him as his feet drove him from his spot, he legs extending under him as he flew through the air, the undead looking up to him and having no time to scream as the flame elemental drove his fists down, his fists crushing the undead armor and all with the metallic tinge of buckling steel, his rock hard body jarring on the landing-

The elemental vaguely felt something scratch his thigh as he rose up, turning on an undead furiously hacking his thigh with a broadsword-

He lunged again, his steel blade striking his thigh hard and breaking in two, the Flamelurker grabbing his swordarm by the shoulder and hoisting him up, driving a thumb into his chest and coaxing an agonized scream from the undead's lips. The elemental thrashed him to the side, catching his free arm and driving another finger in, blood once again flowing from the beast's fingers.

The swordsmen thrashed his legs, blood pouring from his mouth as the flamelurker held him, squeezing his shoulders and feeling the plates of bone crumpling in his fingers, until his hands had burrowed all the way through him and made fists, the lurker tucking his arms in close and flexing his elbows.

The undead's screams faded to gurgles as the arms of the stone elemental drove his onyx hands apart, the flesh and muscle tearing like paper as his organs spilled from his body in a heap and the body was torn in two- each half getting ejected to opposite sides of the room when they flew off his fingers.

Souls once again flowed into his body and strengthened him, the demon feeling his ancestral instincts kicking in as his hunger for souls returned in force-

He heard the plink of arrows, numerous projectiles pounding his stone skin, the shafts of the arrows bowing and breaking in two as the useless arrowheads tried without success to piece his hardened skin as he turned, the arrowheads glistening on the floor like snow as he roared in defiance and hunkered down again-

The archers fled as the flamelurker fell to all fours and tore into the ground, surging forward as his powerful body dredged the sediment and bounded up to one of the crossbowmen, struggling to run but unable to evade the larger beast, who again planted his hands to let his feet go under him, his toe-claws planting into the ground as a ripple of strength went through his body-

He lunged, erasing the distance to the crossbowmen and sweeping him off his feet, clutching him in hand and clumsily correcting his course, continuing to sprint forward, guiding himself to a pillar of stone and throwing his arm back behind his shoulder, thrashing its captive, who continued to flail and dig at the lurker's skin with a steel dagger that could no sooner pry the hand off than move a mountain-

The lurker wailed, collecting his rage for a mighty swoop, the crossbowmen exploding into gore as the elemental's onyx hands tore through the base of the stone pillar as though it were made of mud, an earthshaking boom sounding as the stone came apart and tumbled across the floor, the trauma breaking the pillar from the ceiling, the column moaning as it fell to the side.

The beast threw his hands up, the weight of pillar falling from one shoulder to the other as he grunted and tucked his legs, extending them again as he lifted the crumbling mass over his head and leaned the weight back into his shoulders as he prepared to launch it at the row of undead ahead of him-

A feeling like a javelin, only hundreds of times stronger, hit flamelurker in the back, the elemental howling as he dropped the pillar with an audible bang, withdrawing forward and reaching back to the smoldering hole. Another great strike hit him in the shoulder- the tinge of blue energy fading just as the wizard raised his dark staff with an expression of mystified focus crossing his eyes, the tip of his staff arching with blue energy that soon crackled with white formations, as though it were freezing-

"_Crystal-_" he yelped as the flamelurker threw himself at a giant rock on the ground, his fingers digging in to give him a firm grip as he dug his foot in and drew his arm around in a sweeping arch, his rigid stone limb stronger than a siege ballista as he threw his weight in an arch and launched the small boulder, the rock soaring past the mage, who just barely dodged, with a whistle, exploding against a looming dragon bone, the petrified limb groaning as a crack sped down the side and it slowly fell to the side.

Before the mage could recover, his mind reeling at how destructive this creature was, he found the beast charging for him, the undead mercenaries he hired baring his path, only for the Flamelurker to throw his body into wild left to right motions, reducing them to mangled pulps as they were batted aside and crushed, a few getting gored and ripped open by it's outstretched claws as its shape ballooned up-

A great orb of light, blinding as the midday sun, smashed into the elemental's side, the monster getting knocked off balance and crashing to the ground under his own momentum, dredging up the dirt around it as he skidded to a stop, the smoldering creature jumping up as the pyromancer condensed another great rush of souls into her palm and thrust her hand-

A distortion appeared in the air by Flamelurker before violently exploding, the elemental grunting as he was knocked to the side, the wave of pressure flickering the candles as the blinding light exploded forth and broke on his skin.

As he stumbled to the side, the pyromancer hit him again, then again, keeping it occupied and off-balanced until her pyromancer's flame dimmed, the fires burning around the beast even without fuel off the intensity of their heat. The pyromancer felt her flame drained as she panted hoarsely, he face breaking out in sweat from the backwash of her own attacks as her breath drew short. She watched the intense fires burning, praying it's shape wouldn't emerge-

She didn't expect him to be hurt by fire- but the kinetic energy of the blasts should have-

Her eyes went blank as the shadow of the Flamelurker appeared, the beast lumbering from the plume of flames enveloping the area with barely a scratch upon its flesh even though it stood in a crater nearly ten meters wide, the very dragonbone cracked. The creature's growl was deeper than ever as his skin smoldered, then split-

She watched in horror as the furnace as his throat begun to spew like a volcano, the beast's hard black skin cracking open like an eggshell as waves of heat begun to flow from his body, until the membrane disintegrated under the pressure and the creature. The elemental roaring with newfound strength as he erupted into fire, his skin shades of gold and yellow with intense heat as his elemental body lit the side of the room-

The wizard again fired on the beast, the Flamelurker jumping to the side on instinct as the last of its sleep left it, tearing forward with even greater speed, the wizard shrieking as he charged his next spell, leaping aside as the elemental overtook him with a great fist cocked back, the burning granite claws smashing the ground a good few lengths from the spellcaster to let him charge another spell-

The superheated elements in the granite fist, pressurized by the impact, combusted, an earsplitting _boom_ erupting around the elemental and knocking the wizard off his feet, his body feeling crushed from within as he fluids were shocked like a tsunami and he was bombarded with dirt and smithereens from the blasted earth, his feet leaving the ground as he flew backward and dropped to the ground limp, vomiting profusely as he struggled to get up-

The wizard had no time to shout as the Flamelurker flew up over him, his fists simultaneously crushing and exploding his body, nothing but red dust and bone chips as the undead's remains were blown away, the elemental roaring as he absorbed the fresh souls and turned towards the feel of more undead, finding them gone-

He looked about with his sightless bone eyes, spotting the twitch of a rope, then the kicking of feet as the last of the undead fled up the shaft.

The beast was dull, but he would not allow them to escape, sprinting at the wall and diving onto the stone, his superheated claws effortlessly digging in as he clawed his way up the wall and into the shaft, kicking wall to wall until he was at the top, pulling himself up to face the trail of fleeing undead-

The beast sniffed the air, the shadows of the dank, venomous chamber around him receding away as he picked up on the feel of a great land with innumerable souls.

He roared into the chamber and sprinted into the darkness, his trailing flames lighting the way.

* * *

If there was a hell, the undead may have finally found it. Their footfalls were heavy on the old iron bridge, which seemed to ripple under their feet as it was heated from beneath by an ocean of smoldering, red hot magma, shadows crawling from its rippling surface up the ruddy, soot drenched walls and spires of imposing iron and stone.

Indeed, it seemed to the undead the fortress ahead had a will all its own, defying the caldera of magma it was built upon, that collapsed under the castle's immense weight and sent the building into the molten ocean. There were many sets of stairs to nowhere; that fell below the lava's surface that spoke of many floors below the scrambling explorers. One could gauge the castle was, perhaps, half sunk, or three quarters sunk.

And yet, the Iron Keep still towered higher than ever, glaring down on them with its brazen bulls, spires of iron like pikes aimed to the sky, and elegant sheen beneath the soot and heatscale. The undead had heard the stories about the Old One of this fortress and how his conceit drove the castle under, but that didn't prepare them for the leering monument before them.

Somewhere deep in its bosom was the old king of iron, the master of this house. His soul was ancient and immeasurably strong, if they could just get past his soldiers and the lake of magma eating at their heels. The atmosphere, cast in reds and golds in the iron fortress, seemed to devour them more with each step: the ashen air around them so hot and dry they passed water around almost as often as they passed Estus, the canteen already smoldering as the water within was rapidly heated from ice cold to near boiling-

"How much further?" One of the undead rasped, coughing hard a few times as he leaned on the ornamental iron railing, the few around him keeping a look out as they rested on the cobblestone paving the metal arches, still exhausted despite having just rested at a fire.

"Not sure…" another mumbled, dabbing his head with a cloth, trying hard to blink the haze from his eyes as sweat glistened over him, "If the heat doesn't kill us on the way, maybe an hour or so? Assuming there's nothing too nasty ahead."

"Assuming," another added from the ground, "I've heard this place is full of foul creatures, especially those turtlebacks," the others nodded, having seen a few Ironclad Legionnaires here and there in Drangleic. Despite the cute nickname, they were nothing to laugh at, that, and they'd also heard of disembodied armor suits, and scattered reports concerning the Old One's powers.

Very few in any world could genuinely claim to have fought an Old One and proved victorious, and there was still _that_. A beast whose strength was rumored to equal that of an Old One: that prowled the keep and had stopped the undead searching for the Old One dead for longer than anyone could recall.

It had no name, but many had taken to calling it "The Smelter", though none of the undead in this raid had any solid ideas on its powers and appearance. Someone rose up, reaching for his sword as he turned pale as bleach-

"G-guys," he stuttered, "what is that?" the undead turned to where he was pointing, and were likewise paralyzed-

At the end of the bridge were a few suits of dark, heatscaled armor.

Still, yet giving the impression of life as they stood at their posts, though they hadn't noticed the undead approaching the large, yawning doorway.

But what had the undead trembling was something just beyond them, emerging from within the keep. They saw little of it, aside from a great flame pouring through the darkened corridor, the shape oblong and rimmed with jagged spikes like a big, toothy smile.

They all drew swords and stood as the demon emerged into the daylight, _knowing_ what they were seeing as it emerged.

It's "head" was little more than a ragged pit set on a great charred helm, two thick horns set on either side. In fact, there seemed to be no organic part of him whatsoever: his body a stout, black suit of armor with flames pouring from his open midsection and joints, a veil of hellish smoke slowly trialing around him as he lumbered forward with eerily smooth movements.

He nudged a few of the knights, barely up to his hip, aside as they shied from his hulking form, unable to hurt him even if they wanted to-

The undead formed ranks as the Smelter adjusted his walk to direct himself towards the undead, the pit of his helm turning towards them like a sightless iron eye, the Smelter Demon's hollow boots hitting the ground with a rhythmic, hollow bang with each footfall, the undead already feeling the ground quake as he gradually picked up speed. The undead saw a shape at the edge of their vision and looked from his body to his sword. If you could call the great, smoldering slab of rock hewn into a roughly angular, tooth-like shape a sword.

The undead broke rank and charged back at it, letting up cries of varying heights as the Smelter halted, his miniscule mind processing their movements and preparing to strike as the first attempted to skirt around to his back-

The Smelter, who had no muscles, flesh, or corporeal body to slow him, tucked his legs and jumped back in a breath, landing hard enough to jar the stone but showing no visible trauma to himself-

The undead, now face to face with the demon, barely processed the movement as the armor on the smelter's arm folded back with a tumble of iron and swept forward within the span of seconds as the smelter stepped into his attack and honed in on the fleeing shape.

The slab of volcanic rock, net weight 2 tons, whistled as it gashed the air, the stone blade striking the undead an audible thwack. The sword, having no blade, did not cut the undead, merely crushed him against its edge, destroying everything in and outside him long before he was launched into the iron railing, his skull shattering as he was sent pinwheeling into the magma, his body splashing on the surface and being promptly incinerated.

The other undead attempted to come at him from the front a little to the side, the smelter demon's upper torso turning almost faster than his feet as he swept around, his sword arm folding a moment before launching back out at the stunned undead, who only just managed to dive to the ground to avoid the lunge, the demon digging his foot in and withdrawing the blade leading him forward as the undead flipped onto their feet.

The enormous Smelter Demon vanished a moment, the undead wondering a moment before a shadow fell over the magician- the Smelter dropping down from the air and driving the momentum of his fall into the tip of his volcanic blade-

The undead was instantly crushed, her corpse lost as the blade was driven into her body and _through _the bridge, the cobblestone blowing out the bottom of the depression and splashing in the magma below, the smelter twisting his sword and sending several burning cracks up its dark surface.

The recovered undead saw it's smoldering blade was trapped, charging the defenseless demon-

A ball of energy that'd been accumulating in the Smelter's chest suddenly erupted from within his armor, a black scorch mark blowing over the cobblestone as the heat wave, brighter and hotter than the deepest furnace, washed over the bridge, the demon lurching under the explosive force and strain.

The undead, blinded as the heat scorched their eyes shut, collapsed to the ground and instantly went into shock, clutching their faces as their skin turned a sickening purple-red and broke out into blisters the size of the debris falling around the smelter demon and bridge, the monster withdrawing his great, smoldering blade from the pit in the ground and sweeping it back around to his side.

Its primitive brain considered crushing them more, but that was unnecessary as their charred bodies went comatose and died within moments, the smelter continuing forward past their disintegrating bodies. Still, though it felt the nourishment of fresh souls, vital to preserve the life of a demon, the undead were coming less and less now.

It was odd, and while the smelter demon's "thoughts" were rudimentary at best, he still knew that he was feeling an emptiness within him. Something was in his territory, devouring his souls and choking him off. He didn't know much, but he knew he had to venture forth from the keep to find more undead to keep his strength up.

And so, for the first time in his demonic semblance of life, the smelter demon started forward, heading for the main gates of Iron Keep and the lands beyond…

* * *

_Here we are, in the scenic Earthen Mound- and everything's already gone to hell_ the captain thought, cringing as another tremendous explosion rocked the landscape, a deafening roar echoing through the uneven, bowl shaped depression they'd found themselves in, the undead who'd escaped hiding in the mineshafts and holes along the edges. They'd heard of the Smelter of Iron keep a ways beyond, but she was pretty sure the rumors were clear about it being in the Iron Keep.

She was also sure the beast tearing the place up and obliterating everything in eyesight was a lot angrier than the Smelter, especially since they'd tried without success to take it apart, which needless to say did little more than piss him off further.

She peaked out from the corner, spotting a large ogre wielding two gleaming sickles that'd been attracted by all the noise, the thing spotting her and running forward, turning to the side as another roar broke out accompanied by the sound of great footfalls splitting the pale, barren earth-

A giant abomination, a few heads taller than the great ogre, threw itself into her vision, its flaming body twisting around to cock a smoldering fist back, the ogre bringing his sickles around to block-

The flame demon roared, his white hot onyx claws blowing right through the sickles and rendering them little more than steel shrapnel, which drove into the ogre's chest as the elemental's fist drove into his portly torso and blew his grey bulk apart. For the first time in captain's life, she'd seen someone split in half by a punch: the top half ballooning up a split second before exploding into gore while his fat ass tumbled end over end and crushed an ore cart-

Another monster, almost twice the height of the flame demon lumbered in, lead blindly along by a small minion upon his shoulders standing on a sort of scaffold, the frail undead giving a cat like roar and flicking his whip, the great giant bringing his fist back and charging a great bolt that radiated dark magic, the flame demon already charging in, tearing the hard, pale clay of the earth into little clods with his claws before stopping short and digging his claws in, bringing his feet under him-

The giant undead finished charging the ray, beginning to thrust his hand out when the flamelurker sprung, his molten hand sweeping over and digging into the giant's shrouded face, prompting a great roar as the smaller but heavier flame elemental pulled him backwards from his feet, the hex bomb roaring as it was ejected into the sky by his flailing hand-

The giant undead blew up a cloud of dust and scattered some poison as he was smashed into the ground, his skull fracturing as he bellowed and tried to grasp for the elemental, his arm falling limp when the ultraviolent demon split his skull with the thrust of his claws, spotting the small, frail undead that'd fallen off his shoulders.

The frail undead pilot gave it's catlike cry, the flamelurker bellowing in challenge hard enough to shake the earth, hobbling forward in his awkward hind legs and splattering the frail undead across the dirt, nothing but a bloodstain left behind as the flame elemental started looking about, the heat of his fires darkening the sky as the clay under his burning feet turned to porcelain. She found it vaguely comical, though they needed to get past this abomination.

It seemed to her it less fought than erased everything before it, which wasn't good for her.

Suddenly, there was another roar, but not the flame elemental's. This wasn't a great, deep bellow, but a harsh, metallic grind, a plume of smoke trailing from over the hill as a shape emerged to greet them, the Flamelurker's rampage stopping as he gazed up to new demon.

It looked a great, charred Iron suit piloted by hellfire itself, his angular stone sword like a shark's tooth broken out in fissures of burning heat from all the opposition he'd slain, though his armor had only the barest scratches. Its single dark pit for an eye swept over, until he fell on the Flamelurker.

The two fire demons stared upon eachother, each sensing the great soul within the other, feeling the enmity radiating from eachother as clear as the fires around them.

It's a little known fact, but demons did not like the presence of their own kind, especially when they presented a threat to their supply of souls.

The captain smirked as she watched as the Smelter Demon let up a metallic screech at the Flamelurker, the elemental bellowing in return. It seemed like they were going to make things a lot simpler…

* * *

The Smelter Demon leapt down from the cliff, his iron body crushing the hardened clay beneath him as the fire within him begun to flair up, the Flamelurker slowly hobbling forward towards his foe, who was now bringing his sword before him.

Lacking a weapon, Flamelurker merely clenched his fists, feeling them heat up before he tore forward, his feet digging into the pale ground like shovels as he propelled forward on his clumsy, stout legs, the smelter already bringing his sword back and preparing to strike, stepping into the attack-

Flamelurker dove forward, his fist ready to strike, but the Smelter got to him first, his blade smashing the elemental over the side and pushing the elemental past him, the superheated fist driving into the ground and sending a plume of blasted earth as smithereens and rubble were blown across the quarry.

The elemental got to his feet and turned, the smelter shrieking as the weight of his tremendous stone sword bashed the elemental over the front and sent him tumbling again, his stone body cracking a little under the force of the trauma. The smelter demon ran in as the flamelurker got up, bracing his foot behind him and driving it in as the smelter readied another strike-

The smelter had no time to react as the flamelurker lunged forward and drove his onyx knuckles into the center of the smelter demon's chest- the smelter demon grunting as the pale dust blew up around him, the earthshaking explosion imploding his armor and sending him flying back, his 20ton body snapping a mining scaffold like a twig, the inhuman swordsmen driving his sword in to try and steady himself.

His eye glanced to his core, more from confusion than pain: to the great bow in his chest, the imprint of supernaturally hardened granite spurs driven into the center. His armor was thicker than most blades, and being hollow usually made it very shock resistant, but in this fight-

The Flamelurker dove forward, sprinting to him on all fours as the smelter adjusted his strategy, jumping to the side as the elemental dove forward, his powerful legs tearing up the ground under the force of his lunge.

The elemental sailed passed him, falling upon a pile of mine carts, which were promptly destroyed by the phosphorescent detonation of the impact, rocks and ores flying from the starburst of light as the carts were shredded, the Flamelurker barely flinching as he jumped up and flipped around, the smelter charging forward.

The lurker bellowed at his opponent, but this time it was the smelter, slayer of hundreds of undead and guardian of iron keep, on the offensive: his metal body lurching forward as he tucked his legs under him and sprung in a quick motion, his sword angling to the ground eager to strike.

The elemental instinctively leapt aside as the smelter crashed down into empty space, splitting the clay as he gave his planted blade a hard twist, the flamelurker charging in on him and preparing yet another blow, the fires around him roaring as he was consumed by a singular urge; to crush, to smash with his stone fists and reap the soul of the mangled corpse-

The flamelurker was knocked away, a near invisible blast of explosive power bursting from the smelter and cratering the ground, upending the clay, the flamelurker stumbling a moment and clumsily shielding his knob-like eyes with his hand to protect it from the debris, before he felt a jarring hit upon his head, the smelter crushing him under the force of his blade and smashing him to the ground, a crack spreading down the center of the elemental's skull to one of his sockets-

The lurker caught himself on his hands and threw himself upright, though his head was spinning as the pseudo-eyes and brain were jarred with the impact, to the point where he barely heard the smelter demon screech as he drove forward in a thrust, the uppercut driving into the flamelurker's sternum.

The Smelter watched as the tip of blade crushed his outer layers of stone skin, driving in and sending the flamelurker airborne, the elemental falling to the ground a few lengths away.

The flamelurker roared, clutching his stomach, where several layers of sediment and obsidian were broken and falling in sheets like shale, the phosphorus igniting to give the black skin its usual burning glow, though the damage was done.

His stone body was numb to most pain, though a peculiar sort of sensation similar to extreme distress or cold still attacked him, alerting him to the damage, the Flamelurker slowly getting back up and viewing his enemy, who was engaged in a strange sort of ritual:

His angular blade had been driven into his stomach, the smelter demon moaning as the force of the colossal flame in his sword met with the colossal force of his burning soul, the two reacting to one another by heating up exponentially, flame pouring from every gap in his armor and spewing from his stomach like a forge stoked by the bellow.

The surface of the blade, like cooled magma, split apart and begun to erupt into fire, until the smelter at last withdrew his blade and faced the Flamelurker, who'd now shaken his wounds off, the chipped flesh falling away from him as the flame covering his body turned into a blaze.

Their flame auras had no effect on one another, but nonetheless the force of their flames was palpable as they tore back into one another.

Meanwhile, the captain and the other undead just watched: blinking and cringing against the walls for protection with each tremendous boom of their clashing bodies and weapons. The female warrior, who'd seen and heard a lot in her travels, could do little but gaze on in awe and be thankful they were up against one another and hadn't noticed them.

They were by far two of the most destructive forces she had ever witnessed in her undead life: less demons, more titans, who could each wipe out anything short of a dragon if they well felt like it.

Every step left an indentation in the ground, a stray shot left black gouges in the earth and turned the great boulders of the query into rubble, and every roar echoed for miles over the lands, turning many undead and even a few of the hollowed guards away.

The smelter brought his sword around, bracing it as the Flamelurker struck the volcanic blade- the bubble of force knocking the two back from one another as the flamelurker steadied himself and the smelter's feet dug trenches in the ground as he slid back.

The flamelurker tucked himself down and went airborne, diving in on the smelter, who cocked his arm back and drove forward in a thrust, his stone weapon driving into the elemental's chest, the black granite shattering and spraying over the ground as the smelter stepped into the attack and drove the flamelurker into the ground with the twist of his swordarm, blowing a crater in the ground and pinning the Flamelurker.

The elemental bellowed, digging his fingers into the smoldering blade and wrestling with the smelter demon, who crushed his iron foot into the flamelurker's chest and pried the blade to the side, bringing it back down, the elemental blocking with his arms, but fading as the smelter struck, his blade splitting open and unleashing it's inner power-

A corona of extreme heat blasted around the duo, the clay crackling and exploding as the moisture in it evaporated instantly, the smelter bringing his blade back up and then ramming it down again, his fire blast striking again and again, until he finally stepped off, resting his iron boots on the cracked soil by Flamelurker's prone body.

He eyed him, the elemental's skin flickering and burning down, stepping away from the body and letting the heat in his sword and soul dim a little.

He'd used an enormous amount of energy and had to return to his Iron Keep.

Flamelurker moved a finger, then two and five, then his hand, the claws racking over the earth. The fires did not hurt him, but the shock had cracked his arms and torso, his body battered.

It was then the elemental's rage exploded as it never had before, his pain only fueling the inferno within him as his entire body ignited and blew the earth from him, the lurker jumping to his feet as he erupted like a star-

The smelter turned, seeing his opponent lost within a column of burning white flame, the elemental tearing forward with a roar that came close to shaking the very heavens, the earth itself retreating from his rampaging form as he closed in on the smelter demon, the iron swordsmen turning and preparing his blade to strike-

The flamelurker ran in on his hind legs, the smelter swinging-

The elemental jumped back away as the weight of the Smelter's weapon pulled him to the side, unable to redirect his blade before the lurker dove back in-

His fist tore into the exposed shoulder, crushing the iron plate like foil before exploding his arm off and sending his sword spiraling into the ground, the massive smelter demon screeching as he tumbled end over end over end, blowing holes in the ground until he landed against a pile of ores, glancing up as the flamelurker blew forward toward him, the smelter struggling upright, weaponless-

He rose a little, getting crushed again under the force of flamelurker's fist, dust ejecting around him as his iron body powdered the stone under him, his chest completely imploded with the center digging into the ground under him. just then the lurker tore his claws into the smelter demon's throat and groin, hoisting him into the air and smashing him back into the ground, the rocks denting his flattened chest back outward again.

The metal warped and tore as the flamelurker started to stomp him down, the smelter's free arm reaching up to stop him and latching onto his leg. The elemental hunkered down and wedged his claws into the offending limb's joint and with a single heave shredded the edges and pried it off, tossing it aside and finally burrowing his fist into the pit in the smelter demon's head-

With nowhere to go, the explosive blast ballooned up within, the head swelling and wrapping around the flamlurker's hand a moment before exploding into shrapnel.

The flame in the smelter went out for good this time, the flamelurker leaning up and roaring at the muggy green sky before bounding to a mineshaft to recover his strength, leaving the mangled, darkened mass of iron behind him.

He didn't know about the undead who watched the affair, or heard their thanks and the many drunken tales spun that night in Majula…

* * *

The longest fucking thing I have ever written for FanFiction! I'll probably never write one this long and in depth again, but I hope I picked the perfect pair to have such an epic tale :3

Onto the fighting results: this was a pretty close match- they both had great armor, aggressive tactics, were both near immune to fire thus took little damage from AoEs, and they are both ungodly strong.

However, when it came down to it, each did have an advantage of their own: Smelter Demon, while not very intelligent, is still more intelligent than Flamelurker, which gave him vastly superior timing and adaptability. Flamelurker, however, had vastly superior attack power because the explosive blasts of energy he unleashes from his hands compound with his natural super strength, meaning that if he hits you, or even gets his hands on you, you're done for: anyone who's ever played Demon's Souls can attest to that.

In the end, one key factor determined Flamelurker's victory: Smelter Demon can unlock that flame AoE when he powers up via that long impaling move, while Flamelurker can power up his physical and explosive attack power the angrier and more damaged he gets.

Since his power is innate and needs no ritual to activate it, and since it is physical damage based rather than flame based, he was able to gain a massive edge over the smelter at critical health and crush his very hopes and dreams at the last second, much like he did with aspiring Souls players X3

Do you agree with the results? Did you enjoy the battle? How is the new writing style looking? Please review as it is especially important for this chapter :3


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